The Missing
by mrs-emmett-cullenx3
Summary: Seven years have passed since flight 2232 crashed on a deserted island. When another crisis arises, Bella, Edward, and the rest of the survivors must return to the one place they never wanted to go back to. AH BxE AxJ RxEm Sequel to Stranded. R&R please!
1. Prologue

**The Missing**

**DISCLAIMER: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS TWILIGHT, NOT ME. NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WISH I DID I WILL NEVER OWN IT.**

Prologue

**AN: So, this is the sequel to ****Stranded****. It's kind of hard to follow this story if you haven't read ****Stranded****. If you haven't read ****Stranded**** and don't want to, here's a brief summary. In 2008, Japanese Airline flight 2232 crashed in the middle of the ocean. About 50 people survived and took refuge on a deserted island near the wreckage. The waited for rescue, but none came. On the island, there were native people who made the survivors lives very difficult by doing screwed up things, including kidnapping Bella. On the island, many of the survivors grew close and developed close bonds, and eventually formed romantic relationships. At some point, Emmett was approached by one of the native's to turn over a few of the girl survivors in exchange for rescue. He agreed, but warned everyone in his camp. They decided to trick the natives and kill them. They evacuated the camp so only a few were left behind. Unfortunately, the natives found where everyone was hiding and killed them all with the exception of 4 women. The men who stayed behind were almost killed until they were rescued by a woman named Eva. She claimed she was there to rescue them. The women survivors from the massacre were rescued by Carl, a member of Eva's team. It was eventually revealed that they weren't there to rescue them—they were sent by someone to capture Aro Volturi who was trying to enslave the human race and take control of the world. He was eventually killed, and the survivors left the island. On the boat, the crew attempted to kill them, but Bella, Edward, and the rest of the survivors blew up the ship and escaped. The made it back to the US and were greeted by their family. They lied about the island—saying they were on a different island and not acknowledging the freighter or the natives. The survivors all got married and had children, but received strange letters, saying they knew they were lying. About 8 years after the crash, Bella, Edward, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, Rosalie, Mike, and Leah were at Seth and Cynthia's wedding. Their children were sleeping in a hotel room. Bella went back to the room to check on the kids, when she saw the room was trashed, the window was broken, and the kids were gone. She ran back into the reception, screaming. She said they kids were missing, before fainting. The prologue of this story takes place directly after the survivors were rescued and brought back to the US. Chapter 1 will start exactly where ****Stranded**** ended. This story will follow Bella, Edward, and the rest of the survivors as they try to find their kids and get them back. There will be mystery, some violence, suspense, and romance. All the questions that were left unanswered in ****Stranded**** will be answered in ****The Missing****. If you think you know the answers, **_**think again!**_** I hope you enjoy this.**

August 30th, 2008

At five o'clock in the morning on Saturday, August 30, Alfred Wadsworth got out of bed and hopped in the shower. In there, he thought about his life. Ever since he was seven years old and had read Batman comic books, he knew his destiny in life was to be a butler. The butler in there was called Alfred Pennyworth, and his name was just too similar.

Alfred hopped out of the shower and pulled on his uniform. He shined his shoes and made sure his pants, coat, and gloves were spotless—Master did not like it when his clothes were dirty. Alfred walked down the hall and knocked on the doors of all the other servants to make sure they were awake. Lucy, the cook, accompanied him upstairs to the main room of Turner Manor to prepare breakfast for their master while he tidied up.

Lucy waved him goodbye as she went into the kitchen. Alfred dusted the countertops and wiped down the television so everything was perfectly clean. Then, Alfred went outside to pick up the morning paper. Master always liked to read the paper—especially the business section—while he drank his coffee and ate his breakfast.

Alfred opened the door and was happy to see the paper was already there—waiting for him. Sometimes, the paper was late on Saturday mornings, but not today. He opened it up and stared at the headline stunned. It was in all caps, and underneath it, there was a picture of ten people who looked like they had been living on a deserted island for years. The headline read:

**TEN SURVIVE DEVASTATING PLANE CRASH!**

Alfred quickly scanned the article and learned that these ten survivors, being called the JAL Ten, were survivors from the Japanese Airline flight that disappeared three months prior. He remembered it clearly—his master had been so obsessed with the story. He had sent out his own search team to try to find the wreckage. When he found it, he moved the plane miles away from where he found it, along with all the debris surrounding it.

After that, he spent countless hours convincing the public all the passengers were dead, even coming up with his own theories about what had happened. While he was trying to convince everyone there was no way anyone had survived the crash, he was assembling a team to go on a freighter to try to find the survivors.

Alfred's master was obsessed with the plane crash and with an island—he said it was his destiny to find the island and bring it under his control. He was positive he was meant to find it and become ruler of it. The problem was it was almost impossible to find—you had to be at a certain place at a certain time to gain access to it. What he wanted with the island, Alfred did not know.

It wasn't like he didn't have his own private island—in fact, he had three. But for some reason, this island seemed important to his master. Alfred just didn't know why.

His master would not be happy when he saw the paper—he had been making sure the public believed everyone on that plane had perished. What would he do when he saw ten people were alive?

Alfred heard footsteps, and a moment later, Master appeared at the bottom of the stairs in his robe and slippers. He walked into the dining room and took a seat at the table.

"Wadsworth!" he called out. Master never called Alfred by his first name—only by his last.

"Yes, sir?" Alfred said, walking into the dining room without the paper. He had left it on a table in the main room.

"Get me my coffee and have Lucy bring me my breakfast."

"Yes, sir," Alfred said, exiting the room.

"Oh, and Wadsworth?"

"Yes, sir?"

"Bring me the paper."

Damn. Alfred had hoped his master had forgotten about the paper, but, like always, he wanted to read it with his coffee and breakfast. Alfred walked into the kitchen and told Lucy to bring their master his coffee and breakfast. Alfred then walked into the main room to grab the Saturday morning paper.

When he walked back into the dining room, Lucy was serving Master coffee, eggs, sausage, and toast.

"Sir," Alfred asked, walking up to his master, "Did you see that they found ten survivors from the Japanese Airline flight 2232 that crashed three months ago?"

"Ha ha. Are you trying to be a comedian, Wadsworth? Everyone knows that all the passengers perished on that flight."

"No, sir. It's true," Alfred said, handing his master the paper. The man looked at the front page, then burst out laughing. "Is something funny, sir?" Alfred asked, looking at his employer like he had lost his marbles.

"What is this, Wadsworth? Is this your idea of an April Fool's joke? Did you make this on the computer last night? Very funny, now bring me today's paper!" he said, tossing the paper at Alfred.

"Sir, this _is_ today's paper. It's true—ten survivors were discovered on an island."

"That's not possible!" the man gasped, grabbing the paper and staring at the headline with wide eyes. "It's impossible—everyone on that plane died!"

"Apparently not, sir."

"I—I—I don't understand! How can this be? Wadsworth! Bring me the phone! I need to make a call."

"Yes, sir," Alfred said, grabbing the phone and bringing it to his master.

He grabbed the phone from Alfred's hands and dialed a number, then held the phone to his ear, waiting for someone to pick up.

"Charles, it's me. Have you seen today's paper?...Well, get Reginald to get it for you and look at the headline…I know, I know. We have a serious problem…I don't know what happened, they were supposed to take care of it…well, those were their orders, so I don't know what happened…no, I haven't heard from them since last Friday…well, the reception isn't great out there and they were having problems with the phone lines…no, I would have been notified if something like that happened…they would have found a way…I don't know how to explain how ten people are alive when they're supposed to be dead! Well, when they return they are most certainly _not_ getting paid…because they didn't do their fucking job!...Okay, we'll have to have a meeting with the group soon to discuss this…tomorrow if possible…because this is bad! Do you realize what will happen if the authorities start in investigation? What they'll find?...Exactly! Well, I must go. We'll talk later…okay, bye." He hung up the phone and slammed it on the table.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Alfred asked tentatively.

"People are just incompetent at their jobs is all, Wadsworth. Not like you—I should have hired you for my team. You'd have gotten the job done without a problem. Now, I'm going to be facing an investigation, and they're going to find things out. Things I've kept hidden for years. Things about my time at Harvard and when I was living in London. This is bad, Wadsworth."

"Is there anything I can do, sir?" Alfred asked.

"Not unless you can change the past. Can you do that, Wadsworth?"

"No, sir. I'm sorry, sir."

"Ah, it's alright. I'll just have to take care of this myself. These survivors are going to take everything from me, I know it. But one day, when the time comes, I'll get my revenge. They won't know when or how or why, but I'll get it. I'll wait until they're all happy and content with their lives, then I'll take it all away. Because they don't know about me and the things I'll do."

"Things you'll do to what, sir?" Alfred asked, slightly frightened by his master's demeanor.

"The things I'll do to get what I want. The things I'll do to get my revenge."

**If you read, PLEASE REVIEW. Tell me what you like, tell me what you hate, tell me what you want to see happen next. The more reviews, the faster my updates will be!**


	2. Where We Left Off

Chapter 1: Where We Left Off

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to the people who are reading this story—it was nice seeing some of the old names from my readers and reviewers of ****Stranded****. Okay, so here is the deal: I'm currently writing two stories-****The Missing**** and ****The Epic Tales of Alice Brandon****. The story that gets more reviews is the one I will update more often. So if you want faster updates, you guys have to review. Now to where ****Stranded**** left off…**

EPOV

I sat at the table, worrying. Bella was acting strange. It was like she felt something bad was going to happen to the kids. I swear, ever since the letter incident, Bella had become paranoid. She was always afraid someone was going to come and disrupt our lives.

I looked to the dance floor and saw Emmett twirling Rosalie around. I smiled as I looked at my older brother. He hadn't had a chance to spend time like this with his wife since Charlotte had been born. My niece was a replica of her father—loud, funny, and full of energy. She had inherited Emmett's curls and eyes, and Rosalie's hair color and cheekbones. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen until the birth of my daughters.

After I met Bella, I thought I could never love anybody as much as I loved her. When Emily and Olivia were born, I realized how wrong I was. I still loved Bella with all my heart, but the birth of our twin daughters had somehow expanded my heart. Instead of wanting to protect Bella with every fiber in my body, I know had this fatherly feeling that I would never let anything happen to any of the women in my life, my sister-in-law and best friends included.

My mind drifted back to Bella and my quickie in the bathroom. It had been ages since we had done something reckless and impulsive like that. Ever since Bella had gotten pregnant, she had become more reserved and conservative than she used to be. Not that she was ever a party girl, but we stopped going out on the weekends or even just hanging out with Alice, Jasper, and the rest of the gang. We saw everyone for events like this, but we weren't as close as we used to be.

I looked at my watch. Bella had been gone for almost 15 minutes—how long did it take to check on the kids if they were all sleeping? Maybe Olivia had woken up—she always had a panic attack if Bella was more than a foot away from her. I chuckled, thinking how Olivia was so much like Bella. She was stubborn and goofy, but also possessive. She never let me kiss Bella if she was with her.

Rosalie and Emmett came over to me, laughing.

"Having fun?" I asked. They nodded.

"I can't remember the last time we spent time like this without Lola and Gigi," Rosalie sighed, resting her head on Emmett's chest.

"It was probably before they were born," Emmett grumbled. He bent his head down, planted a kiss on the top of Rosalie's head, and snaked his arm around her tiny waist.

"Damn Cynthia for making these dresses so fucking tight," Rosalie said quietly. "I can barely dance in them. Bella was saying that earlier. By the way, where is she?" Rosalie asked, looking at me.

"She went to go check on the kids. She's become really paranoid lately, like she thinks something bad is going to happen to one of us. I don't see how—I mean, everyone who was a threat to us is dead."

"We think. Edward, we can't know that every single person who knew about us actually died," Emmett whispered.

"Do you honestly want to start this shit again?" I asked Emmett. "We've been over this a thousand times—if they haven't come now, they're never coming."

"I guess you're—"

Rosalie was cut off by a loud scream that filled the room. I looked around and saw Bella running through the doors and into the middle of the dance floor. When she got there, she looked around for a moment before dropping to her knees, sobbing. I jumped out of my chair and reached her a moment later. I bent down and knelt next to her.

"Bell," I whispered in her ear. "What's wrong? What happened?" I had never seen my wife look so distraught in the eight years I had known her. The only time she had looked close to this was when Jasper carried Alice back to our camp after she had fallen off the cliff on the island.

"The kids," she moaned. "The kids…" She couldn't get the whole sentence out before collapsing into my chest. I sat on the ground and pulled her onto my lap, rubbing her back and kissing her on the forehead.

Alice walked over next to me and peered down at Bella. "What's going on?" she asked. The whole time, Bella kept moaning and saying "the kids." I had no idea what that meant. She had just been with the kids, so she had no reason to be worrying about them. Maybe she was suffering some kind of mental breakdown and that was the first thing she thought of.

"I don't know," I said, looking into Alice's green eyes. "She keeps saying 'the kids' but I don't know why."

I heard the ruffle of a dress and the click of high heels on hard wood floors. I looked around and saw Cynthia peering down at Bella from behind me, looking at her best friend's face with worry.

"Bella," she said cautiously. "Is everything okay?"

"No!" she sobbed, putting her arms around my neck and burying her face into my chest. "The kids!" she shouted again.

"Bella, what about the kids, love?" I asked her, trying to figure out the answer to her tears. I had her cradled against my chest, trying to calm her down.

Rosalie walked over and bent down next to me, brushing Bella's hair out of her face. "Bella, what's going on?" she asked, a trace of fear in her voice. We had never seen Bella act like this, and it was scaring all of us.

"You're scaring us!" Leah said, putting her hand on Bella's shoulder.

Bella looked up at everyone with pleading eyes. She pushed everyone away and sat up, still resting in my lap. She took a deep breath. "It's the kids," she said with a shaking voice. "They're gone!" Her chest heaved as another sob escaped from her chest and she collapsed into my chest. I threw my arms around her and held her close to me as my world crashed around me.

********

APOV

Someone screamed—I think it was Leah. I heard a thud and looked over—Rosalie had fainted. Emmett rushed to her side and pulled her into his arms. He walked over to the nearest table and sat down, trying to wake her up.

People were whispering, unsure about what Bella was talking about. No one her knew the full truth about what we had been through—no one but the ten of us. Why would someone take our kids? Why would someone target our children?

I grabbed Jasper's hand and walked over to Edward and Bella, who were still on the floor. Bella was sobbing into Edward's chest as he whispered reassuringly that everything was going to be okay in her ear.

"Bella?" I asked tentatively. She looked up from Edward and I saw her eyeliner had started to run. She looked like a raccoon with puffy red eyes. "Are you sure? I mean, maybe they're just hiding or playing a game?" I had to think she was wrong—it was the only thing keeping me sane at the moment.

"Alice, you didn't see the room," she whispered. "It looked like someone had broken everything in sight and grabbed the kids. There's no doubt in my mind that someone took them."

I held out my hand to her. "Give me the key—Jasper and I are going to check it out."

Bella reached into her purse. She was about to hand it to me when Edward grabbed her hand.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked. "Shouldn't we wait for the police and let them investigate?"

"Edward," I said, looking him in the eyes. "Someone obviously sought our children out. If there are any clues to where they are or who did this, I want to find them now, before we get the police involved. Anyways, I have a sinking suspicion that this is related to the island."

"Me too," he said, taking the key from Bella and handing it to me. Jasper and I left the room and started walking down the hall. I heard footsteps behind us, so I turned and looked. Seth and Cynthia were running after us, a look of pure terror in their eyes.

"Guys, go back to your party," I mumbled.

"No way, Ali," Cynthia said, calling me by the nickname she always used for me. "I want to check this out for myself—this is my niece and nephews we're talking about."

"You only have one nephew," I reminded her.

"No, I have five, plus one niece. Seth and I are married now, remember?"

Oh, right. She had now inherited Leah's kids as her niece and nephews now too. I nodded at her, then the four of us continued down the hall until we reached the room. I stuck the card into the slot. It beeped twice and the light turned green. I slowly turned the handle and pushed the door open. The sight that met us was something I only expected to see in some kind of horror movie.

Cynthia let out an audible gasp as we walked into the room. I looked at the bag I had packed for David with his clothes, toys, diapers, and food. It was now on the other side of the room with the contents scattered all over the floor. Olivia and Emily's backpack was emptied. I saw Mr. Bear, Gisele's teddy bear on the bed—well, what was left of him. He was missing an arm, a leg, and his head. On the ground, there was stuffing everywhere. This wasn't right—she never went anywhere without her bear.

I looked over at the television and saw it had been knocked to the ground. Steam was coming off it and it was emitting sparks. The desk in the corner had been turned on its side and its contents were scattered all over the room.

The walls were scraped up and covered in black marks. The pictures that were hanging were either crooked or broken on the ground. It was a mess.

"What _happened_ here?" Cynthia whispered, looking around shocked. I ignored her and bent down, picking up Mr. Bear's head, which was on the floor in front of me. I picked up David's bag from the floor and put the head in there. I walked into the conjoining room and the same sight met my eyes.

"We need to go through the room and see if we can find anything that could indicate where the kids are or who did this," I said in an empty voice. I walked into the next room while Seth, Cynthia, and Jasper stayed where they were. I closed the door that led into the other room and sunk down onto the bed. I put my face in my hands and started sobbing.

How could this happen? How could I _let_ this happen? I was David's mother, and I couldn't protect him. What kind of person was I for letting this happen?

There was a knock at the door. "Alice?" Jasper's soft voice came from the other side, full of concern. I wiped my eyes and opened the door. He took one look at my appearance and threw his arms around me. "It's okay, baby. It's going to be okay."

"How can you say that?" I sobbed. "How can you say that when they're all gone? We don't know where they are or who took them! They could be anywhere in the world! It's all my fault," I said, falling into his chest. "If I had just been a better mother—"

Jasper grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look him in the eyes. His normally calm blue eyes were now blazing. "Don't say that! This isn't your fault, Alice!"

"I'm his mother, Jasper. I'm supposed to protect him! I'm supposed to watch out for him! I' supposed—"

"Hey guys?" Seth said, coming into the room. "You might want to check this out." He handed us a sheet of paper. I took it from him and started to read it. It looked exactly like the notes we had received a few years ago. It wasn't hand written or typed. Instead, the words were formed from letters cut out of newspapers and magazines.

_What is the world coming to when people can't turn their backs for a few minutes without the fear that someone is going to snatch their child? I have your children—all of them. Their safety and survival depends on you. If you do exactly as I say, they'll be safe. If not, well, you'll have more blood on your hands. Should I remind you of Eva, Carl, Steven, and Savannah? In a few days, one of you will receive another letter with further instructions on what to do. If you're smart, you'll do exactly as they say, no questions asked.  
Another thing—don't even think of involving the police in this. If you all want your secrets to stay secret, you'll keep this between us. And if I find out that you've gone to the police, your children are dead._

"Oh my god!" I gasped. "They've been kidnapped! Look!" I said, shoving the note into Jasper's hands. He read, it, his eyes getting wider and wider.

"We have to go find the others," he said when he finished reading the note, handing it back to me. I put the note in the bag, and the four of us left the hotel room. We sprinted back to the reception and began searching for the others. I found Leah, Mike, Emmett, and Rosalie, but Edward and Bella were gone.

"They went home," Leah said softly. "Bella was going into hysterics, so Edward decided he needed to get her out of here. What's happening?"

"I'll explain everything soon. Let's all meet at our house," I said, grabbing Jasper's hand. "We'll meet you all there." We ran out of the building and jumped into the car. Jasper shoved his keys into the ignition, and we sped off into the night.

********

BPOV

I stared at the road in front of me, not really seeing anything. My chest kept heaving and my eyes were dry—I had no more tears left in my. The car stopped, but I didn't know why. Suddenly, I was lifted out of the car and carried up a path. I heard a door open, and I was laid on something soft.

I looked around and saw I was home in my room, lying on my bed. Edward climbed next to me and grabbed me hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb. When I looked at him, he saw the sadness in my eyes.

He put his arm around me and pulled me close to him. He kissed my head, my face, my neck, my hand, everything. He was trying to tell me everything was going to be okay, but I knew it wasn't. My daughters were gone. My Olivia and Emily were missing, and I had no idea where they could be.

I leaned my face into Edward's chest and started sobbing again. He didn't say anything—he just rubbed my back and buried his face in my hair. He hummed the song he had written for me since he knew that always made me feel better. Tonight, however, it didn't work.

We were interrupted by Edward's cell phone ringing. He sighed, pulled it out of his pocket, and flipped it open.

"Hello?...No, we're just going to stay here. Bella's really upset…What? Are you sure?...How can you know…Yes, I understand. We'll be right over." He snapped the phone shut and threw it on the nightstand. He gently pulled his arm away from me and got off the bed. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans, a black tee shirt, and a grey zip-up hoodie. He walked over to my closet and pulled out a pair of jeans, a white tank top, and a blue sweater.

"Put these on," he said to me, throwing the change of clothes next to me. He started to strip and pulled his more casual clothes on. I stayed where I was, to numb to move. Edward sighed and sat me up on the bed. I felt the zipper to my dress being pulled down, but I didn't care. Edward pulled off my stilettos and slid the dress off me. He pulled the tank top over my head and put the jeans on me. He draped the sweater over my shoulders, then picked me up off the bed. He carried me out of the house and put me in the car. I didn't even care that I didn't have shoes or my purse. My mind was racing, trying to figure out what happened to Olivia and Emily. I just kept picturing the destroyed hotel room in my mind over and over.

We pulled up in front of Alice and Jasper's house. Edward opened my door and helped me out. I was too shocked to walk on my own, so he supported me while I shuffled my feet, not looking at anything. We walked inside the house. Edward took a seat on the couch and pulled me onto his lap.

For the first time, I actually looked around. Everyone was here, even Seth and Cynthia. Alice walked in, still in her bridesmaid dress. She looked at all of us, sadness in her eyes.

"They've been kidnapped," was all she said. She picked up David's bag off the floor and pulled out a piece of paper. She passed it around, everyone reading it. Edward handed it to me and I read it quickly, tears falling down my cheeks once I finished. I quickly passed it to Rosalie, unable to look at it anymore.

"Why would someone want to do this to us?" Edward asked. "We never did anything to anyone!"

"We lied about the island," I said quietly. "Is it possible that this is someone getting revenge for that?"

Edward looked at me, shocked. It was the first time I had spoken since I collapsed into his arms at the reception.

"But who knows about that? Everyone who knew about that is dead!" Rosalie shrieked.

"Obviously not," Alice said. "I have a feeling it's the same person who sent us those notes a few years ago." Jasper nodded in agreement.

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Cynthia asked, standing next to Alice in her wedding dress. "Are we supposed to stay here and do whatever this madman tells us to do, or should we take this into our own hands?"

"What do you mean?" Leah asked.

"Let's go and get those kids back!"


	3. Further Instructions

Chapter 2: Further Instructions

**AN: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I love you all. Also, in response to a review, the men are grieving, just not like their wives. They're trying to keep a cool composure to keep their wives calm. On the inside, however, they're breaking down.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except any OCs.**

EmPOV

I looked over at my wife, sitting on the edge of our bed. She hadn't said anything since we had left Alice and Jasper's place. Even there, she had only said a few words. I was beginning to get worried.

"Baby?" I asked tentatively, sitting next to her. I put my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into me. I felt her body shake as she started sobbing. "Baby, it's okay! Everything's going to be okay!"

"How c-can you s-say that?" she said in between sobs. "Y-you saw Gigi's bear! S-she never goes anywhere with—without it! I'm—I'm really worried, Em. What if they're already—already—"

"—already dead," I said quietly. She collapsed into louder sobs. I rubbed her back, trying to comfort her. It didn't help.

"How can you say everything's going to be okay when we don't know where our kids are? What kind of mother am I if I let this happen?"

"Hey," I said, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her to look at me. "This is not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong, so don't you dare blame yourself!"

"But I'm their mother! I should have done something to stop this!" She leaned against my shoulder as another round of tears came on.

"Rosie, it's no one's fault. We could never have imagined something like this would happen." I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. "Let's go to sleep. Maybe we'll get more information in the morning."

I walked into the bathroom and changed out of my suit into a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt. I walked back into our room, but Rosalie was right where I had left her—sitting on the edge of the bed, still in her bridesmaid dress and stilettos.

"Rose, you need to go to sleep," I said, kneeling in front of her.

"I don't want to close my eyes," she whispered. "When I do, I see terrible things. I see Lola and Gigi, their eyes empty. I'm so terrified it's too late—that they're already dead."

"Rosalie, don't talk like that! You have to keep up hope that we can find them. We will, we will find them! I promise!" I stood up and scooped her into my arms. I laid her on the bed, then climbed next to her. I put my arm around her and pressed my lips to her head.

She kept sobbing into my shirt, and I let her. I rubbed up and down her back as her body shook with her sobs. At some point, her tears ran out and she just kept repeating Charlotte and Gisele's names. Around three in the morning she fell asleep. Shortly after that, I closed my eyes and was soon asleep.

********

When I woke up the next morning (actually, it was later that morning,) Rosalie wasn't in bed. I looked around the room and on the patio outside our bedroom, but she wasn't there. I walked down the hall to the girls' rooms, but she wasn't there either. Confused, I walked downstairs. I found her in the kitchen, staring at the refrigerator.

"Baby, what are you doing?" I asked her softly. She didn't look at me or even acknowledge my presence. She just kept staring at the refrigerator door.

"Rosie, what's wrong?" I asked, walking up behind her and placing my hands on either side of her waist.

"Did you know Charlotte and Gisele drew this for me last Mother's Day?" she asked in an empty voice, staring at a picture tacked to the fridge door. It was hand-drawn and showed a blonde woman, a black-haired man, and two little blonde girls with curly hair. I realized it was our family. On the top, it said, "We love you Mommy! You're the best mommy in the world. Love, Lola and Gigi."

"Rose," I started.

"It was while you were on a trip for business. We ended up going out for brunch at the Beverly Hills Hotel and then went shopping on Rodeo Drive. I bought the three of us matching necklaces. I haven't taken mine off since that day." She reached around her neck and showed me a gold heart that had R, C, and G engraved on it. "I never thought I would never be able to protect them."

"Baby, you need to stop this. If you keep thinking about what happened and not about what we can do, we'll never find them. You do want to find them, don't you?"

"Fuck. You," she said, flipping me off.

"There's the Rose I know and love." She looked like she was going to say something, but the phone cut her off. I walked over and looked at the caller ID. Cullen.

"Hello?"

"Em, it's Bella."

"Hey Bells. What do I owe this early morning phone call to?"

"We got a note with instructions. Can you and Rose come over now?"

"Can't you just tell us what it says?" I asked. I looked over and saw Rosalie was shooting me daggers.

"You'll want to be here for this," she said, her voice shaking.

"Alright, we'll be there in a few."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and went over to Rosalie. She was still glaring at me—I must have really offended her.

"Baby, we need to get dressed so we can go over to Edward and Bella's. They got another note."

The anger faded from her face and was replaced with worry. She nodded and we both went upstairs. I pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Rosalie walked out of the bathroom, wearing jeans and one of my old jerseys. She had just thrown her hair back in a ponytail and wasn't wearing any makeup.

"Okay, let's go."

********

BPOV

Everyone was sitting around the kitchen table, ignoring the muffins I had set out. Everyone had the same grim expression on their face, like they were expecting the worst. Taking a deep breath, I stood up and faced everyone.

"So, I know you all must be confused," I said. No one said anything. Rosalie was leaning against Emmett, Alice was seated on Jasper's lap, Mike and Leah were holding hands, and Seth had his arm around Cynthia. I looked down at Edward and he gave me an encouraging smile. I continued. "Today, someone stuck an envelope under our door. In it, there was a letter. And a picture."

I reached in front of me and picked up the envelope. I pulled out the note and set it to the side. I reached in and grabbed the picture, passing it to Edward without looking at it. I couldn't see my daughters like that anymore.

Edward passed it to Alice, and I heard her gasp loudly.

"This—this—it can't be! No, it has to be some kind of joke!" she sobbed, leaning her head on Jasper's shoulder. I understood—I collapsed into Edward the first time I looked at the photo. As the photo was passed around, everyone looked at it with shock before breaking down into tears. Finally, Seth handed the picture back to Edward while comforting Cynthia.

"Bella, how can we be sure their still alive?" Emmett asked in a strained voice.

"We have to have faith," I said, squeezing Edward's hand. "Without that, we have nothing."

"But Bella," Alice said, looking up, "You saw the picture. How can we possibly believe the kids are alive when they send us something like that?"

"We just—"

"Bella, they're fucking bound and gagged!" Rosalie screamed at me. "If you want me to believe these people have no intention of harming my daughters when they tied them to a chair and covered their eyes and mouth with duct tape, you're fighting a losing battle."

"I know it looks bad," I stared before being cut off by Leah.

"Bad? It's awful. We don't know where they are and then these people are sending us pictures of our kids. If we don't hurry, we're going to be receiving body parts in the mail."

"Don't talk like that!" Alice screeched, putting her hands over her ears. "I don't want to think of David like that!"

"I agree with Bella," Jasper said softly. Everyone looked at him. "If we don't have faith that we will find them, what else do we have?"

"I guess," Alice admitted. "I just don't have any faith left after seeing the picture."

"That photo wasn't the only thing that came," Edward said, standing up. "There was a note too."

"With further instructions," I added, picking up the piece of paper.

"What does it say?" Mike asked.

"There are only three lines," I said, looking at the almost-blank piece of paper."

"Well?" Cynthia asked, looking at me.

I held up the piece of paper for everyone to see:

_Joanne Armstrong  
The old Windsor Church.  
Wednesday, 3pm._

No one said anything. It was the most confusing note any of us had ever gotten. After a few minutes of silence, Rosalie said something.

"Who the fuck is Joanne Armstrong?"

**Yeah so this chapter kind of sucks and everything, but it's going to get a lot better starting with the next chapter, I promise! Oh, and please review ******


	4. Joanne Armstrong

Chapter 3: Joanne Armstrong

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews!**

RPOV

The whole week, I just sat at home, not doing anything. I should have been working on my new book—the publishers wanted it by the end of the month—but I couldn't. Every time I picked up my pen, I thought about Charlotte and Gisele. Where were they? Were they safe? Were they scared? Did they miss me?

My hand dropped to my neck and I fingered my heart necklace. I had been doing that a lot lately. For some reason, when I touched my necklace, I felt like I was closer to my daughters, and that gave me a sense of comfort.

Right now, I was sitting in my kitchen in a pair of jeans and a Giants Superbowl champions sweatshirt of Emmett's. I took a sip of my coffee, then looked at the clock again. 1:03 pm. Less than two hours. I sighed and rested my head on the table. I closed my eyes and tried to sleep.

Lying on the table, I kept seeing Charlotte and Gisele in my mind, being tortured by an unknown person. He was tall, had short black hair, and a crazed expression on his face. I shuddered, opened my eyes, and looked at the clock again. 1:05 pm. Only two minutes had passed.

Sighing, I stood up and walked into the living room. Emmett was lying on the couch, reading Stephen King's newest book. He looked so adorable with his reading glasses on. He was so engrossed in his book that he didn't see my. Quietly, I walked over to him and sat on the couch with him. He looked up at me and gave me a big smile. He marked the page in his book, then closed it and put it on the floor. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down next to him.

I put my hands on his chest and snuggled into him. He lightly kissed me on the forehead as I closed my eyes. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Emmett was waking me up.

"Rose, wake up," he whispered in my ear. Groaning, I rolled over and right off the coach. Luckily, Emmett was there and caught me in his arms. He picked me up and set me on the ground.

"What time is it?" I asked him.

"Two-thirty. Alice and Jasper are waiting outside for us." I grabbed my purse, and the two of us went outside. Jasper and Alice were standing next to their car with impatient looks on their faces.

"C'mon," Alice whined. "I want to get there as soon as we can and see what this woman needs to tell us." Alice and I got in the backseat while Jasper drove and Emmett rode shotgun.

"So, did you find out who she is?" I asked Jasper as he drove.

"No. There's nothing on anyone names Joanne Armstrong. Believe me, I looked."

"What if it's a trap?" Alice asked with fear in her voice.

"Then it's a trap," I said. "What else are we supposed to do? This is the only way we can possible find a way to getting our kids back. Maybe all these people want is money."

"Did you see this week's _Us_ _Weekly_?" Alice asked, reaching into her bag.

"No. What are they saying about me know?" I sighed. Before the crash, I was only in magazines for taking my clothes off. Now, I was in the tabloids every week for something. Between counting down the days until Emmett and I split to criticizing my fashion choices, I was a tabloid staple. It was much harder for Bella and Leah. Before the crash, they had been nobodies—Bella had been a waitress and Leah had worked at some office. Now, after being involved in the biggest plane crash known to man, they were married to famous men and constantly hounded by paparazzi.

"Here," she said, putting the magazine in my lap. It was a picture of Charlotte and Gisele with Bella's, Alice's, and Leah's kids at our house. It was from Gisele's second birthday. They were all smiling and happy.

"So?" I said. "It's the kids at Gisele's birthday. What's the problem with that?"

"That," she said, pointing to the headline. I looked down and read it:

**WHERE ARE THE KIDS?  
**_The JAL Ten kids haven't been seen for a week. They've been missing from school, and Bella Cullen's outburst at the Brandon-Clearwater wedding has many wondering: what happened to the kids?_

Oh my god. How did they find out about this? Oh yeah, my life has no privacy. I opened the magazine and turned to the article.

_Where are the children of the JAL Ten? That is the question many are asking. The adorable faces of Charlotte, Gisele, Emily, and Olivia Cullen, David Whitlock, and Evan, Bryant, Ryan, and Maribel Newton have been absent from the streets of Los Angeles this past week. Most weeks, the smiling faces of these beautiful children greet passerbys. Rosalie and Emmett Cullen, a tabloid staple themselves, are always seen walking around downtown LA, going out to eat, or treating their two daughters, Charlotte (also known as Lola) and Gisele (also known as Gigi) to ice cream. Edward and Bella Cullen, a normally private couple, have been photographed a lot more often these past few years with their twin daughters Olivia and Emily. The bronze-haired girls, along with their parents, are regular visitors to the aquarium, the zoo, and the Disney store. Jasper Whitlock and his wife, heiress Alice Brandon (now Whitlock) have been seen with their son, David, whenever they go out. With an heiress for a mother and one of the highest paid actors as a father, David Whitlock is one of the wealthiest babies on the planet. Leah Newton and her four children are regular fixtures at the Eagles practices and games, the team their father and husband plays for.  
This past week, however, no one has reported seeing a single one of these children. Of course, some say they could just be resting after an exhausting weekend (Cynthia Brandon and Seth Clearwater were married on Saturday, an event which all the children were part of.) Sources, however, suspect something else.  
"Something's not right," kindergarten teacher Kristen Bosworth tells Us. "Lola has never missed a day of school before, yet she was absent this entire week, her mother claiming she was sick. That would be believable, if Nancy Pollard, Evan's first-grade teacher and Heather Manapaulos, Bryant's pre-school teacher, weren't told the same thing. I mean, how are we supposed to believe all these children have come down with some illness that makes them unable to attend school for an entire week? It's just not likely."  
Tess Allemandes, close friend of Cynthia Brandon, tells Us exclusively about a disturbing scene at her friend's wedding. "Everyone was having a great time dancing and drinking. Cynthia was spinning on the dance floor with her new husband when Bella Cullen came bursting through the doors. Apparently, she had left for a minute. She runs into the middle of the dance floor, screaming her head off, before collapsing. Her husband, who is totally gorgeous by the way, came over to her and was whispering something to her. All of the other people from the plane were by her and she said something bad, because after that, they all left. It was weird."  
Eyewitnesses at the hotel say they saw Bella and Edward Cullen, along with Alice Whitlock, bringing all the children of the JAL Ten to a hotel room. No one saw them go back to pick them up.  
"Something fishy happened in that room. That's all I'm going to say," Ms. Allemandes says. Whatever happened there, Us hopes the LAPD find out soon._

"Are you fucking with me?" I asked Alice.

"No. That's what's on newsstands today. People all across the country are going to think we did something with our kids. Either they think we killed them or dumped them. Can it get any worse?"

Just then, my phone rang. I looked at the number and saw it was my brother, who I had recently started speaking to. Why was he calling me now?

"Andrew, what do you want?" I asked him, trying to keep my voice calm.

"What the fuck is with this article in _Us Weekly_, Rose?" he asked. I sighed.

"I don't know—Alice just showed it to me."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Is it true? I mean, I haven't talked to my nieces in two weeks."

"Andrew, what kind of question is that? Do you honestly think Emmett or I would _ever_ let anything happen to Lola or Gigi?"

"Sorry," he said. "I had to ask. So can I talk to them?"

"Er, they're unavailable at the moment," I said, trying not to lie to my older brother. He was the only person in my family who actually spoke to me. If he found out what was really happening, I would lose him too.

"Why the hell not? It's like three o'clock over there, so they can't be sleeping."

"They—they—"

"Just tell him the truth, Rose," Emmett said, reaching over the seat and giving my hand a squeeze.

"Okay. Andrew, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. You have to promise."

"Okay, I promise."

"Do you promise not to tell the police or FBI or any other law enforcement?"

"Yes, I promise. Just tell me what's going on, Rosie. You're scaring me."

"They're gone," I whispered.

"Gone? As in dead?"

"I don't know. Someone took them at Seth and Cynthia's wedding. We got a note, saying we had to follow their instructions if we ever wanted to see our kids again. Then, at the beginning of the week, we got another note with a picture. They had our kids bound and gagged and the note said to meet this woman at 3 pm today."

"Rose, you have to go to the cops!"

"No! They said they'll kill them if we do that!"

"Well, will you at least let me fly out there to help?"

"No, Andrew. Stay in Rochester. Trust me, you don't want to get involved in this mess. I have to go—we're here. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay. Love ya, Rose."

"Love you too." I hung up my phone as Jasper pulled into the parking lot of the Old Windsor Church. Edward's Volvo pulled in next, followed by Seth's truck. Emmett helped me out of the car, then took my hand. The ten of us walked through the old church doors into a big room. There were pews everywhere and an altar in the front. The windows were all either dirty or broken—it looked like nobody had been here for years.

"Hello?" Bella called out. There was no answer.

"Hello? Anybody here?" Leah asked. Again, there was no response.

"This must be some kind of joke," Emmett muttered in my ear. I nodded in agreement.

"Well, it looks like we're the biggest suckers alive," I said, fighting back my tears. "I guess they're gone."

"Let's get out of here," Bella sighed. "There's no one here." Everyone nodded in agreement. We all turned and were about to leave when we heard a faint voice.

"Are you the JAL Ten?" I turned back and saw a woman, about forty years old, standing in front of the altar. She had shoulder-length red hair and was in a black dress with heels. She had a black cape on over her dress.

"Who wants to know?" Jasper called bravely.

"I am Joanna Armstrong. I believe you are looking for me. Follow me if you seek answers and explanations." She turned around and went through a door on the wall behind the altar. Carefully, I pulled Emmett and the two of us followed her. Everyone else followed us.

Joanna led us into a room in the back of the abandoned church. This room looked like it didn't belong in the building—it was new, decorated, and clean. On the walls, there were tons of pictures. Pictures of planes, islands, and us. On a table, I saw a bunch of magazines. On each of the covers, there was something about the JAL Ten. This felt weird.

Joanna took a seat at her desk and pulled out a folder. She opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper, then looked up at us.

"Ms. Armstrong," Edward said, "We were told to come here and find you. We were told you could tell us how to get our children back."

"I can," she said softly.

"Please, can you tell us how?" Bella pleaded. "I need to get my children back."

"The man who took your children, I work for him."

"You work for him?" I asked.

"Well, I've done work for him. He is a cruel man who delights in causing others pain. He sent me this today," she said, handing me the sheet of paper.

_Jo,  
Tell them the amount, then have them wire it to the account. When it is done, call me so I can off these brats.  
J._

"He's going to kill our children!" I screamed.

"Quiet, Mrs. Cullen," she said sharply. I shut up. "Yes, he plans on killing your children. He wants money from you all, but I don't know what for, and I don't know why he is targeting you ten. I've always gone along with his schemes, but I draw the line at harming children. I'm going to tell you something that will allow you to rescue your children."

"Really?" Alice gasped, digging her nails into Jasper's arm.

Joanna nodded. "My boss has taken your kids to an island. Not a normal island, either. It is almost impossible to get there. You cannot just hop on any plane and land there. You need to follow special instructions. You all spent over 90 days there. Yes, I know you are lying about where you actually were," she said, acknowledging our confused faces.

"But, how do you know all of this?" Cynthia asked.

"I know many things, Mrs. Clearwater. Now, in order for you to get to the island, you _all_ need to go. If one of you decides to back out, it will not work."

"We understand. We all will be going," Emmett said, daring someone to say they were out. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. Now, tomorrow evening, Qantas flight 421 is flying out of LAX to Australia. That is your only hope of getting to the island. I have you tickets here." She reached back into the folder and pulled out ten airline tickets.

"How—why—"

"No questions, Mr. Whitlock. We have very little time. Now, you all need to return to your homes and back a bag for your trip. I'd bring anything you cannot live without—I don't know if you all will return."

I felt a shiver go down my spine when she said that. I remembered the danger we encountered during our last stay on the island—I had multiple guns held to my head. I had sworn I'd never go back, yet here I was, planning a return trip.

"Your children are being held in a camp on the island. It was previously blown up, but it has been rebuilt and reinforced. You will need these," she said, pulling out ten ID badges, "To get in. In this folder, I have maps, plans, and all the information you will need to rescue your kids. Now, you need to make sure you are on that plane tomorrow. If you miss the flight, the next opportunity to gain access to the island is a flight to China in six months."

"We understand," Seth said quietly. "Thank you for all your help." We all got up and turned to leave.

"One more thing," she said. We turned to look at her. "Please be careful. My boss is a very dangerous man. He is not above killing an innocent child. If he sees you approaching the camp, he will murder your kids. And remember, nothing is impossible on the island."

"Thank you again," Leah said before taking Mike's hand and leaving. Emmett and I walked out of the church and climbed into Jasper's car. As Jasper drove us back to our house, I kept thinking about Charlotte, Gisele, and the island.

********

(Anything in bold is not being narrated—it is a third party observer, watching the scene but also knowing the thoughts of all the characters.)

**Joanne Armstrong watched as the JAL Ten left her room in the back of the abandoned church. That meeting had gone better than she had planned it—they hadn't suspected a thing. Once she heard the three cars drive off, she pulled off the wig, the fake nose, and took out the contacts so her eyes were their natural color.**

**Then, she walked over to the table and picked up her cell phone. She dialed the only number programmed in the phone and waited for him to pick up.**

"**Did they come?" a gruff voice asked.**

"**Of course they did."**

"**Did they recognize you?"**

"**No," she said, wiping off the makeup that made her look older than she actually was. With her clean face, she looked like she was 26, not 40. "They didn't suspect a thing. It also helps that everyone thinks I'm dead."**

"**Wonderful. Did you play the part well?"**

"**J, who do you think you're talking to? I was amazing. They actually believed that I was trying to help them. They never suspected I was trying to get them back on the island."**

"**Are they coming?"**

"**Yes. I gave them the plane tickets, the IDs, everything. Once they're back on the island, I don't know how long it will take them to get to you."**

"**Well, maybe you should come back to life to help them out. After all, they do trust you."**

**She smiled. "True. Well, send the boat to come pick me up and I'll be there. I can't believe your plan actually worked."**

"**I know. It's wonderful."**

"**What are you going to do once they arrive?"**

"**Get the revenge I've been waiting to get for seven years."**

"**J, are you sure it's a good idea involving their kids? I mean, they're innocent in all of this."**

"**They are the products of lies. They lied about what happened. They lied about you. How can you just accept that?"**

"**I can't. You're right. I'm with you one hundred percent, J. I'll see you when you get here and give you all the information you need."**

"**Okay. Bye, J."**

"**Goodbye, Eva."**

**Eva hung up the phone and went around the room, packing her things. Her ride would be here soon, and she needed to be ready to leave right away. After all, she had been "dead" for the past seven years. Coming back from that was going to be fun.**

**Meanwhile, a tall man with dark hair was standing in a room filled with large cages. In each cage, there were two kids. He walked around, observing each child. The eldest girl with the blonde curls and the eldest boy with brown hair were huddled together in their cage. He could see the tears falling down her face, and it made him happy.**

"**Hello, darling," he said, kneeling in front of the cage and looking at her.**

"**Leave her alone!" the little boy said, standing up.**

"**You're a brave little guy, aren't you, Evan?" The man reached his hand through the cage and dragged his finger down Charlotte's arm. She shivered and a few tears fell from her eyes.**

"**I said leave her alone!"**

"**Sit down before you get yourself hurt again."**

"**Then leave Charlotte alone!" Evan shouted again. Sighing, the man picked up a metal stick next to him and pressed it into Evan's arm. The effect was instant: Evan dropped to the floor, twitching. Charlotte started screaming and crying. The other children in the other cages were screaming with fear as well. J pulled the stick back, and Evan stopped jerking. He was shaking as Charlotte crawled forward and held him in her arms.**

"**Now, we don't want to get shocked again, do we, Evan?"**

**Evan, still shaking, shook his head no.**

"**Good. Well, it's time to eat, everyone." The man walked around, placing bowls of food in each cage.**

"**Why are you doing this?" a small voice asked. He turned around and saw little Olivia, her big brown eyes staring at him.**

"**Because I can."**

**Remember to review. The more reviews I get, the quicker updates you get!**


	5. Back to the Island

Chapter 4: Back to the Island

**AN: Thank you to all who reviewed/alerted/favorited this story. I love hearing your feedback, so if there is something you hate/want to see, TELL ME!**

APOV

At noon the next day, Jasper and I got into the limo as the driver put our bags in the back of the car. We thought it would be easier to have someone drive us instead of driving ourselves since we didn't know when we would return. I was in jeans, sneakers, a Muse concert tee shirt, and a pink zip up hoodie. I knew I was going somewhere where I wouldn't need gowns, stilettos, or silk, so I didn't pack it. My suitcase was filled with tee shirts, sweatshirts, jeans, hiking boots, and other outdoor gear.

Next to me, Jasper was in jeans and a tee shirt with Timberlands and a sweatshirt in his hands. He put his arm around my shoulders and I leaned into him.

"Do you think this is going to work?" I whispered.

"I hope so."

The driver got into the front seat and drove off. We then stopped at Edward and Bella's house, where everyone else was. The door opened and Bella climbed in, followed by Edward, Leah, Mike, Seth, Cynthia, Emmett, and Rosalie. Everyone was dressed for a hunting trip—except Rose.

"Rose, what are you wearing?" I asked, gawking at her. She had on a tight, short dress paired with diamond earrings, a diamond necklace, and seven-inch stilettos. "You do realize we're going back to the island, right?"

"I tried to tell her that," Emmett mumbled. Rose shot him a death glare.

"You may not care about what the public thinks of you, but I do. They're going to see me at the airport, and I'd rather look like this than like that," she said, pointing to me. "I still have an image to uphold."

"It's not practical to walk around a deserted island in clothes fir for a movie premiere."

"That's why I packed jeans, tees, and sneakers, okay?

"Whatever," I said, taking Jasper's hand. He gave me a smile as the limo pulled away from Edward and Bella's mansion. Twenty minutes later, we were at LAX. The driver helped us with our bags, and the ten of us made our way into the airport.

After we checked in, we went through security and made our way to the gate. I dropped my bag on the ground and took a seat on Jasper's lap. He gently rubbed my back as I stroked the back of his hand. I looked over and saw Seth and Cynthia quietly kissing. I felt bad—this was taking the place of their honeymoon.

"What's wrong, Ali?" Jasper asked me, noticing the troubled expression on my face.

"I'm just worried about David and the rest of the kids. Do you think they're okay?"

"I don't know, sweetie. We just have to pray that they are otherwise we'll all go insane."

"I'm already going insane," I grumbled as he pulled me close and kissed my forehead. I looked around the waiting area and saw a few other people taking the plane to Sydney. Suddenly, a horrible thought dawned on me. "Jasper, what's going to happen to these other people riding the plane with us?"

"Oh my god!" he gasped, his eyes widening in horror.

"I know! I can't believe I didn't think about this before! What are we supposed to do?"

"There's nothing we _can_ do. We'll just have to hope it's not like last time."

"I don't feel good about this," I said uneasily. "Something about this whole adventure seems wrong."

"What do you want to do then, Alice? Do you want to leave David's fate up to chance? If we don't go and rescue him, he'll die!"

I sighed and realized he was right. We'd have to hope this crash went better than the last one. The woman at the desk called for first-class seating. Jasper, me, and the rest of the JAL Ten got up and gave her our tickets. Her eyes widened when she realized who we were, but she didn't say anything. Jasper took my hand, and the two of us walked onto the plane. We took two seats in the last row of first-class.

"This feels so weird," I said as Jasper put our bags in the overhead bin.

"I know what you mean," he said, climbing over my legs and sitting in the seat next to me. "We haven't been on a plane since the crash, and after this, I don't know if I'll ever fly again."

Edward and Bella took the two seats next to us, while Cynthia and Seth were in front of us. Rosalie, Emmett, Mike, and Leah were in the front row.

Once everyone else had boarded the plane, the flight attendants went through the standard emergency routine, then we prepared for takeoff.

I rested my head on Jasper's shoulder and closed my eyes. Hopefully, this would all be over soon.

********

BPOV

"Can I get you anything, ma'am?" the flight attendant asked me after we had been in the air for about three hours. I looked up from my book and politely shook my head no. I glanced over at Edward and saw he was staring out of the window.

"Are you okay, baby?" I asked him, putting my hand on his arm.

He sighed. "I've been better. Flying on planes that I know are going to crash isn't exactly a daily activity." I smiled at him before gently pressing my lips to his. "That makes me feel a little better."

"Do you think the girls are okay?" I asked quietly.

"I hope so. I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know who to believe and who to trust."

"Edward, did that woman Joanne seem familiar to you?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, looking at me puzzled. I sighed and thought about it for a minute. When we were at the old church last night, something about Joanne struck me as odd. It was like I had met her before. The way she snapped at Rosalie, it all seemed familiar.

"Don't you feel like you've met Joanne somewhere before?"

"No, do you?"

"I don't know. Something about her seemed familiar, but I can't explain. Just the way she was acting with everyone—it felt like she knew us. I'm just acting silly," I said, laughing it off. Edward sat in his seat, holding my hand, thinking. "Edward, it's probably nothing. I've been really jumpy these past few days and I'm imagining things. Just forget I said anything."

He looked at me like he was going to say something, but changed his mind. I leaned against his shoulder and kept reading. We stayed like that for an hour—me, leaning against Edward, reading. Edward, looking out the window, not saying anything.

I was interrupted from my chapter by the cabin rocking. I looked at Edward and saw the expression on his face hadn't changed. I grabbed my purse and threw my book inside of it before putting the whole bag behind my back. If the bags were going to be thrown around like last time, I wanted to keep my purse, just in case.

The cabin shook again. I looked over at Alice and Jasper and saw Alice was waking up. Jasper had his arm around her and she put her head on his chest.

The cabin shook for a third time, and I felt my butt leave my seat for a moment.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please make sure your seatbelts are fastened. We're just hitting some momentary turbulence. It should pass soon." I saw the flight attendants rushing to their seats in the front of the plane and buckle in. The plane rocked again, and I was jostled in my seat.

Edward grabbed my arm and pulled me into his chest. He wrapped his arms around me as I closed my eyes and pressed myself closer to him. The plane kept rocking, but I held onto Edward. He was rubbing my back and trying to keep my calm when I heard something moving. I looked up and saw the drink cart rolling down the aisle. It must have gotten loose from its holding area. After it went past me, I stuck my head in the aisle to see everyone else. Cynthia and Seth had their arms wrapped around each other, Mike and Leah were sitting, looking straight ahead, and Emmett was holding Rosalie close to him.

Suddenly, the plane dipped forward and I heard something behind me. I turned my head and saw the drink cart was a foot from my face. It was going to hit me. Edward's arms were around my chest in an instant, and he pulled my back. The cart still managed to hit my arm, and when I looked up, I saw a large gash that was bleeding. Great.

The plane was rocking back and forth. I kept slamming into Edward every time the plane shifted. Suddenly, I felt the plane start to descend. Oh god, we were crashing again! The air masks from above dropped, and I grabbed one and pulled it over my mouth. I started breathing deeply and Edward grabbed my hand. The overhead bins opened and all the luggage fell in the aisles. I heard people screaming behind me, but I didn't want to turn around and look. I didn't want to turn around and see Jacob being impaled in the head by a piece of scrap metal.

I threw my arms around Edward's chest and held on. The plane tilted to the side, and my seatbelt broke. I fell out of my seat and landed on Alice's lap. I stood up, then fell again when the plane suddenly dropped hundreds of feet. The captain was saying something, but I couldn't hear him over all of the people screaming. I fell to the ground and crawled back to Edward. Edward grabbed my hand as the cabin filled with a bright white light. I saw the sky, the ocean, then nothing.

********

_**The tall man with dark hair hopped out of the pilot's seat of his small jet. It had taken him 20 years to find the island after he had left it, but now, he was finally back. He looked around at the place he had grown up on, the place where he had become a man.**_

_**It had taken millions of dollars and years of his time, but he had finally found it. He looked around at the deserted island—there was no one here. Perfect. Eva had done her job well. It was too bad about her fate—he had found the wreckage of the freighter two weeks ago.**_

_**The man walked around the island, looking at the remains of the native's camp. It was interesting to see how Aro had been living these past 20 years. Even since he had exiled the man from the island, he had been planning his revenge. He finally had it now—Aro was dead by the hands of Edward Cullen.**_

_**He had found Aro's body along with the remains of his new guards—he made sure no one else would ever see them.**_

_**He walked around the beach looking around. He picked up a broken test tube and looked at it—it was probably left from the explosion. Eva had radioed him after the mission was complete to tell him everything had gone according to plan—with the exception that all the survivors from the plane were now on the ship.**_

_**He had then told Leo to go with the secondary protocol. Unfortunately, he had failed with that, seeing as the ten remaining survivors of Japanese Airline flight 2232 had managed to make their way back to Los Angeles with some cock and bull story about what happened. He was the only one who knew it was a lie.**_

_**He knew what their survival meant—investigations for him. They had already started—the FBI was looking into his finances, his activities, and his past. If he wasn't careful, they would discover his connection to the real island and everything he had done to find it.**_

_**He walked over to a tree and sat down in the sand. It was too bad about Eva—he had actually liked her. When he found the boat wreckage, he knew there was no way she could have survived. The boat was blown to millions of pieces.**_

_**He had actually shed a tear when he saw the boat—something he had never done before. He knew it was unprofessional, but he had fallen in love with Eva. After watching her around the office for the past two years, he had grown fond of the girl. She was sweet, kind, funny, and beautiful. Watching her from my office, I had always fantasized about running my fingers through her brown hair.**_

_**Just then, I heard a cough. I looked around, but didn't see anyone. I was just imagining things—there was no one here.**_

_**I stood up and went back to investigating the island, when I heard another cough, along with a faint, "Hello?"**_

"_**Is someone there?" I called out, stepping towards the tree line. I heard the leaves rustle and a woman crawled out of the trees. She had long brown hair that was exactly the same shade Eva's was. Her hands were covered in dirt and her clothing looked singed. She looked up and I gasped.**_

_**It was Eva.**_

"_**Eva! Oh my god, I thought you were dead!" I rushed over to her side and pulled her into my arms.**_

"_**Sir? What are you doing here?" she rasped.**_

"_**I'm here on personal business. What happened on the freighter? I thought you were supposed to go with the secondary protocol."**_

"_**That was the plan, but Savannah, Steven, and Carl tried to help them off, so we had to kill them. Before I could stop them, the ten of them got off the boat and blew the thing up. Luckily, I jumped off before it exploded and floated back to the island on a piece of wreckage."**_

"_**Wow," I gasped, not knowing what else to say. "Well, I'm going to take you home. After you're all better, we need to talk. We still have unfinished business."**_

"_**You mean Edward, Bella, and the rest of the survivors?"**_

_**I nodded. "I don't know how and I don't know when, but someday, I'm going to get back at them for what they did to us. They won't get away with this."**_

********

JPOV

I opened my eyes and noticed it was unnaturally bright. I looked around and saw I was lying on a beach. I had no idea how I had gotten here. The last thing I remembered was the plane spiraling towards the ocean below us, and then I blacked out.

I sat up and looked around the area—I was completely alone. I didn't see Alice, Edward, Bella, or anyone else. I looked next to me and saw my bag, but no other bags. The plane wasn't there either. I got up and slung my bag over my shoulder before walking towards the ocean.

When I got there, I saw another body on the ground—it was Cynthia. I ran over to her and pulled her into my arms—she was still unconscious. Her bag was about 15 feet away. Carrying her, I walked over and picked up her bag.

I felt her move slightly and looked down. Cynthia opened her eyes and looked at me.

"Jasper? What happened? Where am I?"

"I think we're back on the island," I said, lowering her onto her feet. She looked at me confused.

"Where's Seth? And Alice? And everybody else?"

"I don't know. I woke up on the beach all alone. You were the first person I found."

"Shit."

"I know."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" she asked.

"I dunno. I guess sit here and wait—hopefully they'll find us."

"Hopefully." She sunk down onto the sand and I set her bag next to her before sitting down too. I opened my bag and pulled out a shirt. I pulled off the one I was wearing—which was dirty and soaking wet—and changed into the new one.

"Jasper! Cynthia!" I heard a voice call from behind me. I turned around and saw Bella running towards us with Emmett. I didn't see Alice, Edward, Rosalie, Seth, Mike, or Leah with them.

"Bella!" Cynthia cried, springing to her feet. She flung herself into Bella's arms as Emmett walked over to me and smacked me on the back. I smiled at him as he sat in the sand next to me.

"What happened?" I asked him.

"I have no idea. I remember getting on the plane with Rose, but I woke up in the jungle 10 feet from Bella. I remember the plane shaking and a white light, but after that, everything's blank."

"Yeah. I remember the plane starting to crash, but I don't know how I ended up on the beach. What about Bella?"

"More or less the same thing. She doesn't remember anything after the cabin filled with a white light." We both heard footsteps and turned around. Leah and Edward were walking onto the beach, followed by Seth and Rosalie.

"Seth!" Cynthia screeched, running from Bella to her husband. She pulled him into a deep kiss while wrapping her arms around his neck. Edward walked over to Bella and pulled her in his arms while Emmett went over to Rosalie and kissed her lightly on the lips. I looked over at Leah and saw the worry on her face—her husband was still missing, along with Alice.

Leah came over and sat by me. "You okay, Jasper?"

"Just worried. And confused."

"Me too. I don't know what happened. And I don't know where anyone else from the crash is. Or the plane itself."

"It's weird," I said. "The first crash, I remember everything so clearly. But this one—it's all a blur. I don't know what's going on."

"Join the club. Well, I'm sure Alice is okay—she and Mike are probably just on the other side of the island trying to find us."

"Yeah, maybe," I said, not really hearing her. I was worrying about my wife—she wasn't exactly the fend-for-yourself type of person.

I looked around the beach and realized we were at our old camp—I even recognized Alice and my old hut. I got up and walked over to it. I opened the door and saw the mat we slept on eight years ago still on the ground. I laughed quietly and put my bag inside. I looked over at Edward and saw he and Bella were walking over to their old cabin with their bags.

I walked back over to Leah and helped her up. The two of us went over to the fire pit we always used to sit at and started building a fire. Luckily, we were better prepared this time. We had matches, food, and other survival supplies. Leah and I set to making dinner while everyone else settled in to their old residences.

Three hours later, the eight of us were eating rice and beans—we had to bring non-perishable items. We were planning on fishing in the morning before venturing into the forest to start searching. I looked anxiously at the trees, but heard nothing. Mike and Alice still hadn't turned up, and I was beginning to get worried.

Everyone had finished eating, so we were just hanging around the fire, waiting for Alice and Mike to turn up. Everyone eventually headed to bed except Leah and I. We sat up, waiting for our spouses to turn up. I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes, it was light out and I was lying in the sand around the sand pit.

I sat up and looked around, but I didn't see anyone. Leah must have headed to bed during the night. I walked over to our makeshift kitchen and poured some cereal into a bowl. I saw by the fire pit, eating and worrying. Alice still wasn't here, and I feared the worst.

Suddenly, a pair of hands covered my eyes.

"Guess who?" a light voice asked. I grabbed the two wrists and turned around. Standing behind me was Alice with Mike, looking beat up, but alive.

"Alice!" I said, throwing my bowl to the ground and pulling her into my arms. "Oh, baby!" I pulled her face to mine and pressed my lips to her.

"Jasper! I can't believe we finally found you!"

"Is Leah here?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, I think she's inside sleeping. We were so worried about you two. What happened to you guys? Why did it take you so long to find us?"

"We were on the other side of the island, by the native's old camp. It took us all night to walk back, plus we ran into some trouble in the jungle."

"Trouble?" I asked, looking at her.

"Yeah. We heard some footsteps, so we had to hide for a few hours. We didn't see who it was, but we didn't want them to find us, just in case."

Mike and Alice sat on one of the logs and relaxed. The three of us were sitting there, not saying anything, when we heard something moving in the trees. I turned around and grabbed a gun from the bag by the fire. I loaded it and pointed it at the trees.

"Who's there?" I called. A woman emerged from the trees. She had long brown hair and old, dirty clothes on. Her hair was unkempt and there wasn't a trace of make up on her face. I knew exactly who she was.

**Sorry that it took me a little bit to update—I just didn't have a lot of time to write. I'm going to try to have a new chapter up either Wednesday or Thursday before I leave for vacation. Then there might not be an update for almost two weeks—it depends if I have access to my computer in Miami. Review, por favor!**


	6. Defying Death

Chapter 5: Defying Death

**AN: Woo thanks for the reviews all ******** Also, the story will be returning to the one character/flashback format of ****Stranded****. It's going to be a little different…the flashbacks will involve the character the chapter focuses on, but it won't be from their POV. Instead, it will be an unknown narrator.**

ROSE

"_What do you have for me today, Asher?" I asked my coworker as he rolled in the body on the gurney. My fellow coroner pulled the white sheet off the body, and I looked down at a young guy who looked perfectly healthy—except for the fact that he was dead._

"_Royce King III. 33 years old, died from an apparent heart attack."_

"_Who discovered him?" I asked._

"_His brother, coming over to return a movie. Found him lying on the floor, dead. His wife had left him the same night. My theory is he read the note, flipped out, and died."_

"_Thanks, Asher. I'll take it from here." Asher nodded and left the room. Making sure I was alone, I tuned and looked at the dead body on the table._

"_Royce, Royce, Royce," I said, shaking my head. I couldn't believe I was looking at my good friend, dead. "How could you let this happen? I thought you were making sure you were healthy." I sighed as I picked up my scalpel. "Well, let's get this over with."_

_I pressed the scalpel into his chest and made an incision. Since he was already dead, no blood flowed. I pulled back the skin and began my examination._

_There were no internal injuries and no broken bones. I pulled out the heart and examined it—it showed that Royce had a heart attack right before he died. I sighed and sat down—it was exactly what was suspected. Royce had died of natural causes._

_I looked at my deceased friend's face again and noticed something—there was some white powder on the edge of his lips. I took a metal scoop and brushed some of the powder into a test tube. Then, I capped the vial and labeled it. I sent it to the lab to be tested. Maybe this powder had something to do with Royce's death. After all, young guys did not normally die of a heart attack._

_After I finished examining the body, I cleaned up the table and packed the body away in the cooler until the family arrived to pick it up. I sighed and went to grab a cup of coffee from Starbucks. Royce had been one of my best friends and I was depressed that he was dead. He had been an awesome person and real nice guy. Sure, he sometimes got drunk and pushed Rosalie around a bit, but other than that, he was an all around good guy._

_Speaking of which, Rosalie's disappearance seemed slightly suspicious. She leaves him, and the same day Royce dies. It was very odd. _

_Just as I was picking up my vente coffee, my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. I looked at the caller ID and saw it was Timothy, the lab guy. I picked up my phone. "Hey, Tim. What can I do for you?"_

"_I have the results to your mystery white powder."_

"_And?"_

"_It's Potassium Cyanide."_

"_What's that?" I asked. "I have no idea what it is."_

"_It's a white powder. If someone suffers from Cyanide poisoning, it can cause a heart attack."_

"_Thanks, Tim," I said before hanging up the phone. I sunk down at the nearest table and thought about what Tim had just said. Potassium Cyanide caused heart attacks, Royce died from a heart attack. Royce beat Rosalie, Rosalie was now gone._

_Something wasn't right, and I was going to find out what had really happened to my friend._

********

RPOV

"Wake up! Wake up!"

I groaned and rolled over in my bed. "No, go back to bed, girls. Mommy's still sleeping." I snuggled back into Emmett's chest.

"Rose, get your ass up _now_!" Alice shouted at me. I opened my eyes and remembered the day before. Plane. Crash. Island. Right.

"I'm up, I'm up," I groaned, opening my eyes and staring at Alice. If I remembered correctly, she had still been missing when I went to bed last night. "Al, when did you get here?" I asked, sitting up from my mattress. Emmett groaned and rolled over again.

"I got here last night, but that's not the point. I need to show you something. You too, Emmett," she said, pushing Emmett off the mattress with her foot. He groaned again as he fell into the sand on the ground. The two of us then got up and followed Alice out to the camp.

"So, what took you and Mike so long to get here?" I asked her as we followed her.

"I'll explain it later," she said annoyed. "We have more important things to deal with."

"Like?" I asked.

"Like that," she said, pointing to the group around the fire pit. When I first looked, I didn't see anything wrong. It was Edward, Bella, Mike, Leah, Seth, Cynthia, and Jasper, sitting around the fire, making breakfast. Just then, I realized there was an eighth person sitting with them. She had long brown hair, tan skin, and dirty clothes on.

It was Eva.

"Eva?" I asked, bewildered.

"Hey, Rosie," she said, smiling at me.

"Wh—what are you doing here? I thought you were dead!" I said, running over to him and pulling her into a big hug.

"We _all_ thought you were dead," Emmett added.

"How did you get back here?" I asked her, putting her down.

"I think we'd all like to know that," Edward said quietly. "After all, not many of us can defy death."

Eva, Emmett, Alice, and I all took a seat around the fire pit, and Eva began her story.

"Well, you all were here for the whole island deal and the freighter. You know I was betrayed by my boss. He had those other men on the boat kill me and my team."

"But you're not dead," Bella said.

"I know."

"If you're not dead, then couldn't everyone else be alive too?" I asked, thinking of Carl, Savannah, and Steven. Eva looked at me sadly.

"Afraid not. Savannah took a bullet to the chest, Carl was killed by the men before he even got down the service elevator, and Steven was beat over the head until there was no life left in him. I'm the only one who managed to survive."

"But we blew up the ship!" Cynthia exclaimed. "I remember it. Edward pressed the button and detonated the C4. I remember watching the ship burst into flames as we rowed away. How did you get away and survive?"

"I jumped off," she said. "I got off right before the ship blew. I grabbed onto a piece of debris and floated for a few days before I ended up back here. I've been living on the island ever since. I've been living in these huts and going around the islands getting food. I've been using the waterfall you all used to use to bathe and get fresh water. I've been walking all over the island and I've gotten a pretty good idea of the island."

"Is there anyone left from the native's group?" Jasper asked.

She shook her head. "Not that I know of. I haven't seen anyone since I jumped off the boat. I haven't seen anyone in however many years I've been here."

"Eight years," I said quietly. "We've been off this island for eight years."

********

_I straightened my tie and walked up to the large mansion in California. I rang the bell and waited for someone to answer it. A young woman in a black, lace nightgown answered the door. She had long curly blonde hair and was extremely beautiful._

"_Can I help you?" she asked, looking me up and down._

"_I'm here to see Rosalie Hale," I said, remembering from the one spread that Royce's widow went by her maiden name now._

"_And who are you?" she asked._

"_I'm detective Ian Grant," I said, holding out my fake badge and ID card. I had decided that I should go with a fake name so no one would ever suspect who I really was._

"_What's this about?" she asked, looking slightly nervous._

"_I'm here about her husband, Royce King III."_

"_Uh, give me a minute. You can sit right here," she said, leading me to a couch in the entry area. She ran upstairs and disappeared from sight. I took a seat and waited for the former Mrs. King to join me. I was finally going to find out if she was the one who had killed my best friend._

_Just then, Rosalie walked down the stairs. My jaw dropped; I had forgotten how beautiful she was. She had on a tight tank top and short white boxers that showed off her best assets: her boobs and her legs. She walked over to me and sat across from me._

"_Hi, can I help you?"_

"_I'm Ian Grant."_

"_I'm sorry, but do I know you, Mr. Grant?"_

"_No, we've never met before. I'm a police detective from Rochester, New York." Of course, that wasn't true, but I needed to keep up this lie._

"_Mrs. King—"_

"_It's Ms. Hale now. I've been divorced for almost a year now."_

"_Sorry, Ms. Hale. Can you tell me about the day you left your husband?"_

"_I'm sorry, but what is this about?"_

"_Well, we've been wanting to talk to you for a long time to ask you these questions. I'm sure you've heard your husband died of a heart attack the week you left him." Actually, the day she left him._

"_I read about it, yeah." Liar. I knew she was the one who killed him._

"_Well, we just wanted to set up the timeline of events."_

"_Why? I mean, he died of natural causes. Surely you don't think someone __killed__ him, do you?" She's starting to look nervous. Good. I want to see her sweat._

"_We just want to cover all possibilities. So, the day you left him?"_

"_Well, I'd been planning on leaving Royce for awhile. I'd been saving any money I got, and I'd take any money he left lying around the house to help. That morning, I packed all my stuff up and loaded it into my car. I wrote him a note, saying I was leaving him, then drove like a bat out of hell. I stopped at motels during the night, but I paid with cash and used a fake name so he couldn't find me if he decided to look for me, which I knew he would do. So I came out to LA and eventually got a job working for Playboy."_

"_I see. Why did you leave him?"_

"_Because I didn't want to be married to him anymore."_

"_So get a divorce. Why go through all the trouble of uprooting your life and sneaking out when he's not there?"_

_She didn't say anything. I didn't understand why she didn't tell me about Royce beating her—unless she was trying to protect him for some odd reason. I would never understand women. "This wouldn't have anything to do with your trips to the hospital, would it?"_

"_What?"_

"_Your frequent trips to the hospital. You were there twice in January for a broken wrist and a broken collarbone, once in February for a shattered tibia, three times in March for a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, and a broken finger, and then once in April for a broken arm. That's a lot of medical bills."_

"_I'm just really clumsy, that's all. I fall down a lot and get hurt."_

"_Ms. Hale, I'm not an idiot. The doctors also make notes about the appearance of the wound and the behavior of the patient. Dr. Gerandy said that your injuries were usually accompanied by bruises, and you always seemed nervous and fearful when you were there, like you had something to hide." Again, this was all a lie, but I knew it was true. Royce would tell me about her always going to the hospital and how he was worried about her turning him in._

"_He beat you, didn't he?"_

_She nodded. "Only when he was drinking. He was always the sweetest husband when he was sober, but he was so stressed at work that he began going out and drinking at night. When he would come back, he would snap over the silliest things. When he shattered my tibia, I had asked him how his day was."She broke down, sobbing._

"_Ms. Hale, many women go through what you went through every year. You're lucky you got out when you did. I can't tell you of how many cases there are when it is too late for the wife. Her husband comes home one night and takes it too far."_

_She didn't say anything, but nodded in agreement._

"_I only have one more question for you. Did you kill your husband?"_

"_No" she said, but her eyes said yes. I knew she poisoned him with Cyanide._

"_Thanks for your time, Ms. Hale. I promise not to bother you again."_

_I got up, walked out of the mansion, and got in my car. I knew what I had to do now. I would get even with Rosalie Hale for what she did to Royce if it was the last thing I would ever do._

********

"So, what are you guys doing here?" Eva asked, looking at the ten of us. "I thought you were all rescued after Carl, Steven, Savannah, and I sacrificed ourselves four you guys."

"We were. We've been living our lives back home for the past eight years. I mean, Edward and I are married now."

"So are Mike and I."

"And Jasper and I."

"And Emmett and I."

"Seth and I just got married two weeks ago."

"So you decided to come here for your honeymoon?" she asked, confused.

"Of course not!" Cynthia said seriously. "We didn't come here for enjoyment."

"Our children were kidnapped," Emmett said.

"Children?" she asked.

"Sure," Bella said. "Edward and I have twin daughters, Olivia and Emily."

"Mike and I have three boys, Evan, Bryant, and Ryan, and a baby daughter, Maribel."

"Jasper and I have a son, David."

"Emmett and I have two daughters, Charlotte and Gisele."

"Wow, I can't believe you all have families now. It's incredible."

"I know," Bella sighed.

"That still doesn't explain what you're doing here," she said.

"Well, our kids were taken from us. During Seth and Cynthia's wedding, someone broke into the hotel room and kidnapped all of our kids while they were sleeping. We went to this women, who told us they were here and how to get here. We came here to find and rescue our kids."

"You think they're here on the island?" she asked.

"That's what we were told. We came here on another plane and it crashed on the island yesterday. Didn't you see it?"

"I haven't seen or heard anything," she said.

"So, you haven't seen our kids or who might have brought them here?"

"Nope. Like I said, I haven't seen anyone besides you guys since I returned back to this island after the freighter explosion."

"That's insane."

"I know. Do you have any idea who could have taken your kids?"

"None."

"Do you think It could be someone from the native group?"

"No, they're all dead."

"How can you be sure?" she asked.

"Because they came to find us," Edward said. "Aro survived and tried to kill Bella, but I finished him off."

"Aro survived?" she asked, stunned.

Edward nodded. "He came after us, but he's gone now."

"So, what do you plan on doing?" she asked. "How do you plan on finding them?"

"I have no idea," I said. "They could be anywhere on this island."

"Well, do you at least have an idea of where they could be?"

Alice shook her head. "No idea."

"Well, now you have an extra set of hands and an extra pair of eyes to help. You guys are so important to me; I'll help you do anything to find these kids."

"Really?" I asked. After all, it was no secret that Eva and I never really got along.

"Rose, I know we've had our differences, but I would never do anything to try and harm your children. I promise you that."

"Wow, I can't believe it," I gasped.

"Well, how are we going to find these kids?" Seth asked. "We have no idea where they could be."

"Well, Eva's been living here. Maybe she knows a place where someone could hide nine kids."

"Uh, maybe on the east side of the island?" she asked, not very confidently.

"What about the native's old camp? I mean, there were tons of buildings over there," Cynthia suggested.

"No way," Eva said quickly.

"Why not?" I asked.

"They're all destroyed. When we blew up the one building, it destroyed the entire camp. Plus, when the remaining natives left the island, they destroyed everything that remained from their lives here," she said quickly.

"Oh," Bella said. "Well, what's on the east side of the island?"

"Uh, there are plenty of hiding places in the trees. I say we start there."

"Sure," I said, looking at Eva suspiciously. She seemed like she was hiding something, but I couldn't tell what. "Is something wrong?" I asked her.

"What?"

"Is everything okay with you? You're acting…strange."

"Nope, everything's fine. Well, besides that fact that I've been living here the past eight years and haven't seen any friends or family in a long time."

"Okay," I said.

We split into two groups. Eva and the one group planned the route we would take to get to the east side of the island to see if our kids were there. The other group was planning on what we would do to the person who took our kids.

"Rosie, is everything okay?" Emmett asked, using the nickname he came up with when we were on the island.

"Yeah. Does something seem off about Eva to you?" I asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders. "No, she seems fine to me. Why?"

"I don't know. Something about her just doesn't sit right with me."

"Well, you haven't seen her in eight years. Maybe it's just that," he suggested.

"Maybe," I said, distracted. Something wasn't right, and I would find out what it was, just like I would find my kids, even if it cost me my life.

**Okay, I'm really sorry about the long delay between updates. I wasn't kidnapped, murdered, or attacked by zombies. I was in Miami and didn't really have time to write. I updated this before my other story since I wanted to. I promise you won't have another long update like this without me warning you ahead of time. As always, please review. I love hearing what you guys think!**


	7. The East Side

Chapter 6: The East Side

**AN: Thanks to all who reviewed. If you haven't reviewed, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story. Also, sorry I haven't been updating frequently. I'm in the process of moving back to school, so once I get back, I'll (hopefully) write more.**

EDWARD

_I rolled over on my bed as I heard the phone in my house ringing. Who in the hell could be calling me at this hour?_

_I walked over to my phone and looked at the caller ID: Tanya. I smiled. Tanya was the only good thing that came out of my relationship with Sasha. I had been married to Sasha for three years before she finally decided to leave me. In the course of those three years, we had produced one daughter—Tanya._

_After our divorce, Tanya became the most important lady in my life. Because of my job, I moved around a lot, but I always made sure to spend time with my daughter. I wondered why she was calling me now._

"_Hey, sweetie," I said, answering the phone._

"_Hi, Dad!" she said excitedly._

"_To what do I awe this phone call in the middle of the night?" I asked._

"_Oh, sorry, Dad. I forgot about the time difference."_

"_It's okay, darling."_

"_I just had to call you. I have the most exciting news!"_

"_What's that?" I asked._

"_Edward proposed!"_

"_What happened?" I asked, stunned._

"_Edward asked me to marry him! We were out at dinner, and he just asked me! Can you believe I'm going to be Mrs. Edward Cullen in a month?"_

"_A month? Don't you think you're rushing things a bit?" I asked her. "After all, you've only been dating four months. Shouldn't you wait a little longer, to make sure he's the right guy for you?"_

"_Daddy, I know we haven't been together that long, but I've never been more sure about anything in my life. I know Edward is the one."_

"_I thought that about your mother, but look what happened to us."_

"_Daddy, you and Mom weren't right for each other. Edward and I are perfect for each other. He makes me happy and makes me whole. I love him more than anything in the world. Besides you, of course," she added quickly._

_I laughed. "Okay, if you're sure. I still have yet to meet your wonderful fiancée," I reminded her._

"_I know, I know. It's just been so crazy for us. Edward's been busy with his residency and now I'm going to be preoccupied with moving to LA."_

"_You're moving?" I asked her._

"_Yeah. Edward has his residency in LA, so I'm just going to work on opening a new store in LA and leave Alison in charge of the one here."_

"_Honey, you've lived in Washington your whole life. Are you sure about this?"_

"_I've never been more sure about anything in my life."_

"_I don't know," I said. "It just seems that everything is moving too fast. I mean, I haven't even met this guy."_

"_Do you want to talk to him?" she asked. "He's right here."_

"_Okay," I said. I heard the phone rustling. "Edward?" I asked._

"_Hello," he said unsurely. He sounded nervous._

"_Hi, this is Tanya's other father. I know you've probably met David, her stepdad, but I'm her birth father."_

"_It's a pleasure to finally talk to you, sir. Tanya has told me so much about you."_

_I smiled. "Well, that's a good thing to hear. From what I've heard, you seem to be in love with my daughter."_

"_I am," he said. "She's the most important thing to me. I know it may seem like we're rushing things, but I see no reason to wait. We're in love. We're not getting any younger, and we want to start a family."_

_I sighed. "I guess you're right, Edward. You sound like a great guy, but I want to make sure you're the right guy for my baby girl."_

"_Sir, I promise to never do anything to hurt Tanya. I love her, and I would never do anything to prevent her from loving me."_

"_Okay. It was nice to finally talk to you, Edward."_

"_Likewise, sir. Goodbye." We both hung up the phone, and I sunk into my favorite chair. Edward seemed like a nice guy, but if he ever did anything to Tanya, he would be sorry._

********

EPOV

"So, if we go around this way, we should remain hidden from anyone who would be there," Eva was saying, pointing to a passage on the map.

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking wary. The place she indicated didn't look well hidden. In fact, it looked like it was all out in the open. "I mean, there're no trees or anything there. How can we be sure we won't be seen by anybody who could be there?"

"Edward, I've been living on this island for the past eight years. Don't you trust me?" she asked, her eyes boring into me.

"Yes, I trust you," I mumbled.

"Good. I say we head out tomorrow morning to search. That way, if they are there, we can catch this monster who took your kids while he's still asleep."

"Good plan," Emmett said, cracking his knuckles. I knew all he cared about was causing this person as much pain as was humanly possible.

I looked over at Bella, and saw she looked as worried as I felt. I motioned for her to follow me, and the two of us walked down to the water's edge on the beach.

"What's wrong?" I asked her. I knew my wife so well, I could always tell when something was bothering her. Now was one of those times.

"I don't know," she sighed, sitting on the sand. I sat down beside her and put my arm around her shoulders. "Something's not clicking. It feels like the first time when we met Eva. Remember, something didn't seem right then, and we were right. I feel like she's hiding something important from us. And I know our kids aren't on the east side of the island."

"What? Do you know something I don't?" I asked her, looking at her with shocked eyes. How could she possibly know that? We hadn't left the camp at all since we had arrived.

"Call it mother's intuition, but I have this gut feeling they're not there. Not Emily and Olivia, at least," she added. "Edward, I know our daughters. I've raised them since they were babies, and I feel like I can sense where they are. And they are not on the east side of the island. My feeling is telling me they're at the native's old camp."

"Bells, you heard Eva: the old camp is destroyed."

"Yes, the camp is destroyed. The land, however, is still there. What's to say this guy, whoever he is, came to this island and built some kind of place to bring our kids to?"

"Bella, that would take extensive planning," I reminded her.

"You think whoever did this did it on an impulse? He planned this, Edward. He was watching us. He knew exactly where the kids were. He's been planning this."

"Are you sure?" I asked her.

"Positive. Edward, look at the facts. This guy knew where we all were and knew where our kids were. He was watching us. He also wanted us to end up back here."

"But that woman Joanna said—"

"Edward, she was lying."

"What? How do you know that?" I asked her. I had no idea how Bella could know Johanna was lying.

"She looked to the left when she told us about what her boss had said."

"So?"

"So she was making it us. People look to the right subconsciously when they're recalling or remembering things. When they look to the left, they're constructing or creating things. Her boss never told her to demand money from us—she made it up."

"Why would she make that up?" I asked, still stunned.

"Probably to hide her boss's true motives. I bet he wanted us to come back to the island so he could fuck with us. For some reason, this guy doesn't like us. I bet he took our kids to lure us here and get revenge or vengeance or some shit like that."

"How do you know this?" I asked her, shocked. I loved Bella with all my heart, but I had never seen her so smart.

"Edward, I'm a mother. I may not be extremely intelligent, but I can put things together when my daughter's lives are at stake."

"Well, what do you think we should do?" he asked.

"I say we go over to the native's old camp and get our kids back."

"Okay," I said, smiling at her. "Let's go tell the others." I helped Bella up and the two of us walked back over to everyone, hand in hand.

"Guys," Bella said as we joined the group. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at us. "We had an idea about where our kids could be. No offense, Eva, but I don't think they're on the east side of the island. I think they're back at the native's old camp."

"But I told you—"

"We know what you told us," I said, cutting her off, "But we think whoever did this was planning this for a long time. Months, maybe even years. We think he came here, built some kind of place to live and hold our kids, then snatched them at the wedding and brought them here."

"Don't you think that sounds a little far-fetched?" Emmett asked me.

"I know it sounds ridiculous," Bella told him, "But it's just a feeling I've been having. I know it sounds crazy and paranoid, but it's the only explanation for what my gut is telling me."

"Bella, don't you think I would have heard them building on this island? I have been here for eight years, after all," Eva reminded us.

"I know, I know. All I'm saying is we check out the old camp. If nothing's there, fine. But I would hate for them to be there and us never even look."

"Okay, how about we do this," I suggested. "Why don't we go to the east side first, then head to the old camp. How does that sound?" I asked.

"That sounds…fair," Bella said reluctantly. "I mean, we should check everywhere for them."

"Okay, good. Now let's get to bed. We need to head out early tomorrow," I reminded everyone. We all headed into our island homes. I kicked off my shoes and lied down on the bed Bella and I shared on the island. She crawled into bed and snuggled up next to me.

"Do you think everything's going to be okay?" she asked me.

"I'm sure it will all be fine," I said, extinguishing the candle. "We'll go to the east side and the old camp. Hopefully, Emily and Olivia will be at one of those places."

"I hope you're right," Bella said, planting a kiss on my cheek. We both drifted to sleep, dreaming of our daughters and hoping they were okay.

"**J, it's Eva," Eva said into the walkie-talkie in her hut.**

"**Eva!" the voice on the other end exclaimed. "Is everything set for tomorrow?" **

"**We have a slight problem."**

"**Problem?" the man growled. "I thought you said everything was going smoothly, that they didn't suspect a thing."**

"**I still think they're clueless, but Bella just said she has a feeling the kids are at the abandoned camp."**

"**Did you tell them how it was destroyed?"**

"**Yeah, but she doesn't care. They all want to head over there tomorrow and check it out."**

"**Eva, we had a plan. We bring them to the east side, and then my men who are positioned over there take them out."**

"**I know, I know," Eva sighed. "They still want to head over, but I think they're going to be a little wary after tonight. Maybe you should keep them alive a little longer. You know, fuck with them a bit."**

"**You know, that's not a bad idea," the man said.**

"**I suggest you do something to discourage them from going to the old camp unless you want to be discovered tomorrow."**

"**Good idea. I'll radio me men with the new plan. You just take them through the path like I showed you. Got it?"**

"**Got it." Eva clicked off her radio and sat down on her mattress in her hut. She looked around the place. It was filled with video surveillance, communication devices, and weapons. Eva knew what her boss was planning to do to Bella, Edward, and the rest of the group, but she didn't care. These people had left her for dead and then blew up the boat she was on. In her mind, they deserved to die.**

********

_I heard my phone ringing and I looked over at the time. Who the hell was calling me at midnight? I walked over to my phone and picked it up._

"_Hello?"_

"_Daddy!" Tanya sobbed on the other end._

"_Sweetie? What's the matter?" I asked her, concerned. I had never heard Tanya like this before._

"_It's Edward," she sobbed._

"_What happened? What's wrong?"_

"_He left me!" she cried._

"_WHAT?" I shouted._

"_He just sent me divorce papers."_

"_Why?" I asked, stunned. As far as I knew, Tanya and Edward were as much in love as they were when they got married._

"_He—he came home and I was with another guy."_

"_Tanya, why would you do that?"_

"_Daddy, he's never home! He's been living at the hospital the past month. I think I saw him once this week!"_

"_That's no reason—"_

"_I'm lonely," she said, cutting me off. "I don't have any friends here and his brother's always off chasing girls or training for football."_

"_Where's Edward now?" I asked. "Shouldn't you two try and talk this out?"_

"_He went on a trip with Emmett and Jasper to Japan. They're supposed to be coming back tonight."_

"_Honey," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, "Do you know what airline they were flying?"_

"_Japan Airlines. They're flying into LAX."_

"_He's not coming home tonight," I said softly._

"_What? Why wouldn't he be?"_

"_Turn on the news," I told her. I couldn't believe she didn't know yet—it was all over TV. Japan Airlines flight 2232 from Japan to LAX had disappeared in midflight, all 267 passengers with it._

"_Daddy, that's Edward's plane!" she shrieked._

"_I know, I know. Listen, here's what you need to do. You need to organize a search for the plane with Edward's parents. You need to act like the devoted wife."_

"_But, why?" she asked. "Edward wants to get divorced."_

"_Honey, if they find him and he still wants to get divorced, people will take your side. If they don't, you'll get one hell of an insurance pay out. All I'm saying is don't sign the papers."_

"_Daddy, I don't know about this."_

"_Pumpkin, I promise you, this will work. If it doesn't, Edward Cullen will be sorry he ever hurt you."_

********

"Wake up, Bells," I said, nudging Bella, who was still fast asleep next to me. She stirred, then opened her eyes.

"What?" she groaned.

"Get up. We're leaving in ten minutes," I said, walking out of the hut. I was already ready to leave. I was in a white tee shirt, jean shorts, and Timberland boots. I had my backpack packed with food, water, and weapons. After all, we didn't know how long we were going to be gone.

Emmett and Rosalie were sitting around the fire pit, talking. They both were dressed for a hike through the forest.

Seth and Cynthia were standing by the water. Cynthia had her head on Seth's shoulder, and the two of them were looking out at the ocean.

Alice and Jasper were emerging from their hut, yawning.

Mike and Leah were packing their backpacks.

Eva was sitting by Emmett and Rosalie, giving Rosalie a mean look. I guess some things never changed.

Bella came out of our hut, dressed and ready to go. "So, what are y'all sitting around for?" she asked, looking at everyone. "We have a group of kids to find. Let's go!"

We all headed into the jungle, following Eva. After all, she was the one who knew where she was going. Bella walked next to me with her hand in mine.

"Do you really think we're going to find them today?" I whispered to her.

"I know it," she said confidently. "I know Eva thinks they're on the east side, but I know they're at the old camp. They have to be there."

I smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze. "I believe you, baby."

We followed Eva for a few hours before we came to a clearing.

"Is this it?" I asked.

"Yeah, this is the east side. We just follow this path to the beach. If your kids are here, I think they'll be on the beach. There're plenty of places to keep things in the trees right on the edge of the beach."

"Are you sure?" I asked her. This idea didn't make a lot of sense.

"Positive. Just follow the path."

"Wait, aren't you coming?" Rosalie asked.

"No. They're your kids, not mine."

"Okay, what's going on?" Rosalie asked. "You've been acting really weird ever since you arrives. First, you don't believe Bella when she says her Mommy senses are telling her the kids are at the old camp, and now you're ditching us. What are you hiding?" Rosalie was now glaring at Eva.

"I'm not hiding anything! I just thought you'd want to get your kids without me."

"You can go first," Emmett said, shoving Eva to the front of the group. She walked down the path with Rosalie and Emmett following her closely behind. The rest of us followed them, looking around cautiously.

The path was long, windy, and surrounded by trees. It was the perfect place for somebody to ambush us if they wanted to. I could see why Rosalie was suspicious.

"What was that?" Bella asked suddenly, staring at one of the trees.

"What's wrong, baby?" I asked her.

"I thought I saw something move in that tree," she said, still staring at it.

"I'm sure it was nothing. Let's keep moving," I said, pulling her along. She looked back with a confused look on her face. We kept walking when I felt something hit the back of my head.

"What the hell?" I said, turning around.

"What's wrong?" Bella asked.

"Something just hit me in the head," I said.

"Do you know what it was?" she asked. I shook my head. "Well, it was probably just some animal or something falling from a tree. Let's keep moving." We kept walking, following Seth and Cynthia.

"Ouch!" Cynthia exclaimed, jumping up. I looked at her foot and saw something was sticking out of her ankle. She reached down and yanked it out. I saw it was a tiny arrow.

"What the fuck is this?" Seth asked, staring at it.

"I have no idea. Let's get out of here. Quickly," I said, grabbing Bella and pulling her along. We were catching up with the rest of the group when I heard a scream ahead of us. I looked up and saw Alice and Jasper on the jungle floor, huddled into a ball. Around them were hundreds of stones.

"What the fuck is going on?" I asked.

"I don't know!" she cried. "All of a sudden, the trees started raining stones. It was surreal."

"AHH!" I heard a scream ahead that sounded like Rosalie. Bella and I sprinted forward and saw Emmett wrestling a huge snake away from Rosalie.

"What the hell?"

"It flew through the air and hit me," she was sobbing. "It didn't just drop—someone threw it."

"But who?" Bella asked. "There's no one here except us."

"I don't know," Emmett grunted, chucking the snake into the jungle, "But I want to get out of here as fast as we can."

"I agree," I said, grabbing Bella. The four of us started making our way out of the jungle, when I felt Bella pull on me. I turned around and saw her collapsing to the floor of the jungle. I caught her quickly in my arms. I didn't know why, but it looked like she was fainting.

"Bella, baby, what's wrong?" I asked, panicked.

"Neck—pain—losing—consciousness—" Her eyes closed and she said no more.

"Edward, what's that on her neck?" Rosalie asked, pointing to something. I carefully tilted Bella's head forward and saw something feathery sticking out of Bella's neck. I pulled it out and saw it was a dart.

"What is that?" Emmett asked.

"A tranquilizer dart," Rosalie said. We both looked at her. "What? I got to go behind the scenes at the zoo once. They use those."

"What's a tranquilizer dart doing in the middle of a jungle on an uncharted island?" I asked.

"I don't know, but someone shot that at us. And whoever they are, they're not friends to us, or our kids."


	8. Acrylics

Chapter 7: Acrylics

**AN: Thanks everyone for all the reviews. I heart you guys!**

ALICE

_I sat down in my chair, relaxing. I was very happy—today, my nephew, Mark, was coming home after a stint in rehab. He had been there for drug abuse and I was happy to finally see him. According to the doctors, he was now officially clean. I hoped he would stay that way._

_Mark was my sister's son who I was now taking care of since she and her husband had died in a car accident a few years ago. Mark was 18, but he wasn't in control of his life. Every time he swore he was clean, he relapsed. This was his fifth stint in rehab. If this didn't work, he was going to end up killing himself by OD'ing one day._

_I checked my watch again. Jeff, Mark's friend, was driving him back to my place. He was going to stay here for a few weeks until I had to go away on business. Then, he was going to stay with Tanya in Seattle until I got back. It wasn't that he couldn't stay alone; it was that I didn't trust him to stay alone. Last time I had let him stay by himself, he OD'd on Vicadin. I had to take him to the hospital to have his stomach pumped. I wasn't going to let that happen again._

_The door opened, and in walked Mark, happy as a clam._

"_Mark!" I said, pulling him into a hug._

"_Hey, Uncle J. How are you?"_

"_I'm fine. The question of the year is how are you?"_

"_Clean and sober. I plan to stay that way."_

"_Yeah, yeah. Let's see how long you keep it up this time."_

"_He has a reason to," Jess said._

"_Oh?"_

"_Little Markey's got himself a girlfriend!"_

"_Really?" I asked, turning to Mark. "Who is she?"_

"_Just some girl I met at the clinic," he mumbled, not meeting my eyes._

"_Not just any girl," Jeff teased. "An heiress. _

"_Shut up," Mark hissed at him._

"_Mark? Is there something you want to tell me?" I asked, giving him a look._

"_Okay, so I met this girl at rehab," he said quickly._

"_Are you two together now?"_

"_Yes. Maybe. I don't know. Look, I really don't want to talk to you about this," he said, looking uncomfortable._

"_Jeff, why don't you go," I said to Mark's friend. "I want to talk to Mark alone."_

"_Okay, cool. I'll see you next week, man." Jeff left and I turned towards Mark._

"_I thought we were clear on the whole dating thing," I said. "No girls you meet in rehab. It's not good for your recovery."_

"_But she's not an addict!" he protested. "She's suicidal—or she was."_

"_Yes," I said sarcastically. "That's so much better. Instead of OD'ing, I'd rather you kill yourself. Mark, you know the rule about girls."_

"_Well, I love her, and I'm not going to listen to you anymore."_

"_Mark, do you forget I am still your legal guardian? Until the judge says otherwise, you have to listen to me."_

"_Do you forget that I know everything that goes on in this house? I may seem doped out of my mind, but I know your plan. And if you don't want the cops finding out about your plot, you'll let me see Alice." Mark glared at me before heading upstairs to unpack his stuff. _

_Crap. I had to do something about him before he destroyed the plan I had been working on for the past 20 years._

********

APOV

"Alice, get up," Jasper yelled, covering his head from the stones that were being thrown at us. "We need to get out of here."

I nodded and tried to get up before a sharp pain hit my leg and I collapsed. "Jas, I can't. My leg," I whimpered. Jasper looked down at my leg and gasped. I looked too, and I couldn't believe what I saw.

My leg was covered in blood due to a large gash that ran from my knee to my ankle. It was still bleeding and showed no signs of stopping.

Jasper bent down, scooped me up in his arms, and sprinted towards the end of the path. When we reached the beach, Edward, Rosalie, Emmett, and Eva were all crowded around Bella, who was unconscious.

"What happened?" Jasper asked.

"She got hit by some kind of tranquilizer dart," Edward said, trying to wake up Bella. She didn't move.

"Alice, your leg!" Rosalie screeched.

"I know," I sighed. "Jas, you need to stop the bleeding." Jasper laid me on the ground and took off his shirt. He pressed it to my leg and held it there. After a few minutes, his shirt was bright red instead of white.

"Edward, we need to go back to the camp," Emmett said. "We can regroup there and then decide on a plan of action."

"Wait, where's Cynthia?" I asked, looking around the beach. Neither she nor Seth were here. "Actually, where are Mike and Leah, too?"

"They're not here?" Edward asked, looking around. They weren't here.

"Oh my god, they're still in there!" Rosalie cried. "We have to go back and get them!"

"Rosie, you aren't going anywhere," Emmett said, putting his hand on Rosalie's shoulder.

"Emmett, if this is some stupid gender thing again—"

"Rose, you're all scraped up. There's no way I'm letting you go back in there."

"I'll go," Eva said.

"What?" We all looked at her.

"I'll go and get them."

"Eva, no. You know how dangerous it is. If anyone goes, it should be me and Jasper," Emmett said.

"No, I'm going. You wait here." Without a look back, she sprinted into the trees. We heard some screaming, but a few minutes later, she emerged, pulling Seth, Cynthia, Mike, and Leah behind her.

"We need to get back to our camp," Edward said, picking Bella up into his arms. Jasper lifted me off the ground, and we all headed back to our camp. When we got there, Jasper put my down on a log and went over to Edward. I saw him saying something to him, and Edward walked over to me.

"Let me see your leg, Alice." I held out my leg, which was still wrapped in Jasper's shirt, and showed him the damage. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sewing kit. "I'm going to stitch up your wound."

"Stitch?" My eyes widened.

"It won't hurt too badly."

"But it's going to hurt somewhat!"

"Alice, calm down. Do you think I'm going to let it be very painful?"

"I guess not."

"Great. What color would you like?" he joked, showing me the different threads in the kit.

"Just black," I said, looking away. I didn't want to see the needle pierce my skin. I couldn't stand any type of pain, which Jasper found weird.

'You used to slice open your arm with a razor and now you can't stand to be pricked by a needle?' he laughed once. He was right, though. I mean, back when I was a teenager, I was seriously messed up. I cut myself and even tried to commit suicide. After that little incident, my parents sent me to rehab, where I met Mark, the love of my life before Jasper. I thought we were going to end up together, but then he died of an accidental overdose. I guess his death really showed me how precious life really was. After that, I appreciated every day for what it was.

"All done," Edward said. I looked down at my leg and saw it was all stitched up. It was still red from the blood, but it wasn't bleeding anymore. Weird, I hadn't felt the needle prick my skin at all. I guess I was too engrossed in my thoughts.

Jasper came over and lifted me into his arms, then carried me over to where everyone else was sitting.

"So," Rose was saying, "That did not go according to plan."

"You can say that again," I grumbled. "What the hell happened back there?"

"I don't know, but it makes me want to check out the native's old camp even more," Cynthia said. "I mean, what if it was another group of natives who attacked us? I mean, that's the kind of thing Aro and the people from before would do. It's just weird that they knew exactly where we were going to be. I mean, they had to have known we were going to be coming down that path."

"Do you think Eva knows someone else on this island?" Jasper asked, glancing back at her. She was with Edward, watching over Bella.

"If we can't trust her, who can we trust?" Leah said. "She's been nothing but helpful to us, both times we've been here."

"But she's never been fully honest with us," Rosalie reminded her. "Remember last time? She told us she was here to rescue us when she really wanted to use us to help her complete her mission. I don't know if I buy her whole story of jumping off the boat and living her for 8 years."

"Then why is she here?" Emmett asked.

"I don't know, but I want to find out."

********

_The next day, Mark came home from hanging out with Jeff. He hadn't called Alice yet, but I knew he was planning on doing it soon. If I wanted to nip this in the bud, I had to act now._

_I set the table for both of us as Mark took a seat. I served him steak, potatoes, and some salad, then went into the kitchen to get him a drink. I poured him a glass of coke, then poured the remainder of the pills into the cup and mixed the drink._

_Earlier, I had crushed the remainder of my Percocet prescription into a fine powder. I had added it into Mark's meal. That way, no one would be able to blame me for his death. They would see it as a drug overdose. After all, he had just gotten out of rehab. No one would be surprised if he relapsed._

"_Here you go," I said, setting the glass on the table. "One coke."_

"_Thanks, Uncle J," Mark said, taking a sip of his soda. The two of us chatted during dinner. Mark told me how he and Jeff had gone shopping, looking for a gift for Alice. Mark had decided he was going to surprise her tomorrow by showing up at her house. He had bought her a necklace. It wasn't anything expensive, but it was meaningful. The necklace had a sun charm, since Alice was his personal sun. Too bad he would never get to give it to her._

_After we finished eating, we sat down in the living room to watch some TV. Mark turned on __Wheel of Fortune__ while I read the paper. Half way through, he started breathing heavy._

"_Everything okay, Mark?" I asked._

"_Fine," he huffed. "Just a little bit of chest pain."_

_Smiling to myself, I went back to reading._

_A few minutes later, Mark stood up. He was swaying slightly, and he looked like he was about to pass out._

"_Mark, are you sure you're okay?"_

"_I dunno," he slurred. "I feel…woozy." I looked at him and saw his skin was starting to turn blue. "I think I should call an ambulance." He started walking to the kitchen before he fell onto the ground. He didn't move to get up._

"_Mark?" I asked, looking at my nephew. He didn't answer. "Mark, are you okay?" Still, he didn't answer. I walked over to him and took his pulse. There wasn't one._

_Quickly, I cleaned up the remainder of the food and washed out his cup, making sure there were no traces of the drug left. Putting on gloves, I walked into the kitchen and picked up the empty prescription bottle. I had been careful earlier to not touch it with my bare hands. I walked over to Mark's body and put the bottle in his hands, putting his prints on it. Then, I put the empty bottle next to him._

_I went back into my room and grabbed my stuff, loading it into my car. I was leaving on business tonight, and it would be best if I was gone before his body was discovered. I got into my car and drove away._

********

"So we didn't find them?" Bella asked me.

"No," I said sadly. Bella and I were sitting at the edge of the beach with our feet in the water while everyone else was in the jungle, looking around. Bella and I stayed back since we were the two injured girls. Eva hung back with us. She was in the ocean, swimming.

"I just don't understand how this happened. What did we do to deserve this?"

"Nothing. Maybe it's someone who's obsessed with the crash," I suggested, though I seriously doubted it.

"I don't think so. It has to be someone who somehow knows all of us. Maybe we all somehow offended this guy, so he's getting revenge by kidnapping out children."

"That seems a little far-fetched."

"I know," she sighed, lying back on the sand. "It's just so frustrating, not knowing where they are. I swear, I'm going to break down soon if I don't hear their voices. I've never been away from them for this long."

"Me neither. The longest I managed to be away from David was for 5 hours. I hate not being able to protect him now. What if he's hurt? What if he's dead? I'll never forgive myself if I let something happen to him," I said, putting my head in my hands.

"Alice, you can't blame yourself. You didn't put David on this island—someone else brought him here against his will. When we find this person, I promise you he will be wishing he was dead by the time I get through with him."

"What are you girls talking about?" Eva said, walking out of the water and sitting next to me.

"Our kids. I miss them so much," Bella sighed.

"I can imagine. How many do you have?"

"Two. They're twin girls. Olivia and Emily, two years old."

"Aww. Do they take after you or Edward?"

"Edward," she answered automatically. "They have his hair and his stellar looks."

"Bella, please," I sighed. "Olivia is basically your clone."

"She's what Edward would look like if he was a girl." Eva laughed when she said that.

"She may look like Edward, but she's like you in every other way. I haven't seen a person as clumsy as her, with the exception of you," I teased.

Bella sighed. "My poor daughter. She's in for a life of emergency room visits and being picked last for teams in gym."

I laughed. "And Emily is just like her dad, musical and arrogant." Bella just shook her head.

"What about you, Alice?" Eva asked.

"Jasper and I have one son, David. He's only a year."

"Well, if I ever get off this god forsaken spit of land, I hope my kids are as sweet as yours." She patted my leg before getting up and walking over to her hut. When she put her hand on me, I noticed something.

"Bella!" I hissed once Eva was out of earshot.

"What?" she said, looking at me, still lying in the sand.

"Eva's lying."

"About what?"

"She hasn't been on this island for eight years. She's probably been here only as long as us."

"What?" she whispered, sitting up. "How do you know that?"

"She has acrylic nails."

"Huh?" Oh god. I forgot Bella was clueless about anything that had to do with fashion. If I told Rose or Cynthia, they would know exactly what I was talking about.

"Have you ever gotten your nails done?"

"Sure. I had them done for prom and for my wedding."

"Did you have fake nails put on?"

"Yeah. They look nicer that way. I got a pink and white when I got married."

"Okay. How long did the fake nails last when you got them done?"

"Uh, a few weeks."

"They wouldn't last eight years, right?"

"Uh, I don't think so," she said, still looking confused.

"When you get fake nails put on at a salon, they use acrylic. It makes the nails look shiny and it makes them harder so they stay on for a while. Eva has those on her nails. It's just an American manicure, so it's not super noticeable, but I felt them when she put her hand on me. There's no way she could have been on this island for eight years with those nails."

"Then what the hell is she doing here?" Bella hissed.

"I have no idea."

Just then, Jasper, Edward, and everyone else returned from their little trip.

"Hey, baby," Jasper greeted me, kissing me on the cheek.

"We have a problem," I told him.

"What?"

"Eva's lying," Bella said quietly.

"Huh?" Rosalie asked.

"She has acrylic nails."

"That's impossible!" Cynthia said quietly. "She can't have them if she's been here for eight years."

"Exactly."

"So, what is she doing here?" Rosalie asked.

"I don't know. But whatever it is, it doesn't bode well for us or our children."

********

"**Evan, are you okay," Charlotte asked in a small voice. She was staring at the little boy, lying on the ground of the cage they shared.**

"**Ow," Evan moaned, rolling over onto his back.**

"**Evan!" Charlotte cried, pulling him into her arms. She cradled Evan, smoothing his hair out of his eyes. "What hurts?"**

"**Everything," he groaned. **

"**You're so brave! You didn't even cry when he shocked you." Evan was shaking in her arms. She bent forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for defending me," she added in a small voice.**

"**I won't let him hurt you. Your daddy isn't here to protect you, so I will."**

"**Really?" Charlotte asked, her blue eyes filling with tears. No one had ever been so nice to her. She didn't have many friends at school—the curse of inheriting her mother's abrasive personality. Most o the girls in her class avoided her while the boys teased her. Evan was the only one who was ever nice to her.**

"**Of course," he said, propping himself up. "We have to protect each other if we want to survive this. Since we're the oldest, we also have to make sure everyone else is okay." They looked into the other cages, where Bryant, Ryan, Olivia, Emily, and Gisele were all eating. Maribel and David were in another room. They had no idea if those two were still alive.**

"**You're right," Charlotte said quietly. She knew it was her job to look after her sister now that her mommy and daddy were gone. She also had to look after her cousins since Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward weren't here either.**

"**We just can't let him get to us. We have to stay strong and stay positive. I bet our parents are looking for us right now."**

"**You think?" Charlotte asked.**

"**Why wouldn't they be?"**

"**Backs against the bars!" a voice shouted. Charlotte and Evan looked up and saw the man who had kidnapped them walking into the room. They both stood up and stood at the back of their cage. The man walked over to their cage, opened the door, and grabbed Charlotte. She screamed as he pulled her out and locked the door, leaving Evan alone.**

"**Evan! Help me!" she screamed as the man carried her out of the room.**

**Evan could still hear her screaming, even after she had disappeared from sight.**

**Please review!!**


	9. A Traitor Among Us

Chapter 8: A Traitor Among Us

**AN: Thank you to all who reviewed! Hugs and kisses to you all.**

JASPER

"_Hello?" a gruff voice said on the other end of the phone._

"_Hi. I'm looking for Lonnie," I said unsurely._

"_One minute." I heard footsteps, someone call for Lonnie, and a phone being passed._

"_This is Lonnie," a deep voice said._

"_I was told to contact you. I need some business taken care of."_

"_What're the deets?"_

"_The deets?" I asked._

"_The who, where, when, why and how," he said in a bored voice._

"_Oh. It's my new boss, David Granger, and his family. He has a wife and two kids. One girl, one boy."_

"_Do you want the entire family or just the guy?"_

"_The whole family."_

"_Okay. Where are they?"_

"_They live at 1131 Sycamore Avenue in Santa Fe. It's a big house with a big tree in the front yard. Hanging from the tree is a tire."_

"_Okay. When do you want this done?"_

"_Thursday at night. The usually go to bed around10, so any time after that."_

"_Do you have a preference for how?"_

"_Make it painful."_

"_Any reason why?"_

"_David got a promotion I deserved because his wife and the president's wife are sisters. It's not fair. I bust my ass every day, working hard, and I never get any rewards for it. Well, I'm sick and tired of it. David Granger is going to pay for this."_

"_Do you want my guys to say anything to them before they finish the job?"_

"_No, I don't care. Just make sure they suffer."_

"_Got it. As soon as the money is wired into our account, we'll do the job. It's a pleasure doing business with you, sir." He hung up the phone and I sunk down into my chair. That job was mine now. Once the Granger's were out of the way, there was nothing stopping me from taking control of the company. After all, Henry wasn't going to last much longer as president. Once he was gone, it would all be mine._

********

JPOV

"Okay, explain this to me again," I said, sitting down next to Alice. I still didn't understand how a girl's nails could determine how long she had been here.

"Jas, she has acrylic nails!" Alice hissed, glancing back to make sure Eva wasn't listening to us. She was still in her hut, probably taking a nap.

"Alice, I have no idea what that means."

"Yeah, me neither," Emmett piped up.

Rosalie sighed. "You guys are so stupid. Acrylics are fake nails. They only last about 3 weeks before they fall off. If she has acrylics, she couldn't have been here for eight years."

"Is there any way she could have maintained them here?" Edward asked, trying to give Eva the benefit of the doubt.

"Not unless there's a nail salon on this island," Cynthia said, looking at him as if he was stupid.

"Well, what are we supposed to do about this?" Leah asked. "If she hasn't been here for the past eight years, then obviously she came back for a specific reason. What if that reason was us?"

"Leabug, that seems a little ridiculous. I mean, how would she even know we were here?" Mike said.

"What if she's working with the person who took our kids," Alice said quietly. I looked at her, unable to believe Eva, the woman who had rescued us from this island, could possibly be behind our children's disappearance.

"I don't know," I said. "I mean, we know Eva. She rescued us from this island!"

"Do we really know her?" Rosalie asked. "I mean, she brought us to a ship where they imprisoned and tried to kill us! Eva said she had no idea, but I don't believe that. I guarantee her getting beat by the men on that boat was an act. She was probably working with them, trying to eliminate us and the members of her team so there weren't any witnesses to what really happened on the island."

"Rosie, that's ridiculous," Emmett said, putting his arm around his wife.

"I just can't believe this!" Leah huffed. "I mean, we named our son after her! And now it turns out she's a backstabbing, manipulative bitch!"

"Well, what are we going to do about this?" I asked. We knew Eva was lying. The next thing to do was confront her.

"What do you mean what are we going to do? I say we take her into the woods…" Emmett trailed off, cracking his knuckles.

"Not helping, Emmett," Edward said, shooting his brother a look.

"Why not? I say roughing her up a bit could help us out."

"Emmett, please," Rosalie sighed. "If we attack her, we'll never find Charlotte and Gisele. I say we confront her and try and get her to tell us where the kids are."

"And when that doesn't work," Emmett said, "We beat it out of her."

"Emmett!"

"Sorry, baby."

"Edward," I said, ignoring Rosalie and Emmett, "What should we do?" Everyone turned and looked at Edward. Since he had been our unofficial leader last time, I thought it would be best if he made the decision.

Edward looked at Bella, then sighed. "I saw we confront her _nonviolently_." He turned and gave Emmett a look. "I say we go from there. Maybe if we're calm about it, she'll tell us where the kids are."

"Why would she do that?" Leah asked, seething. I think Eva's betrayal was hitting her harder than the rest of us since she had named her son in honor of her. "She's probably feeding information to whoever took our kids as we speak. I mean, she led us to the east side, and then we were attacked. If that doesn't scream traitor, then I don't know what does."

"Leah, we have to try," Edward said calmly. "If there's a chance she'll turn on her employer, we have to try. If she doesn't tell us where our kids are, maybe she'll tell us who took them."

"And why," Bella added.

"Ugh, I hate this feeling of not knowing what's going on," Alice groaned. "I want to know if David is okay."

"I know," I said, kissing her on the cheek. "I want to know too."

********

"_Lonnie's Custom services here. You pick 'em, we whack 'em. How can I help you?"_

"_Tony, it's J."_

"_Oh, hey. Do you need to talk to Lonnie?"_

"_Immediately."_

_I could hear Tony's footsteps as he went to find Lonnie. I had urgent news her needed to hear._

"_J! So good to hear from you. To what do I owe this phone call?"_

"_I found him," I said._

"_Found who?"_

"_The kid. The kid your guys failed to kill 10 years ago when they took out the Grangers."_

"_Really? Well give me his location and I'll send Tony and Leo over to finish the job."_

"_It's not that easy. He's a well-known celebrity now. His murder would spark a big investigation, incriminating not only you, but me too."_

"_Who is this guy?"_

"_Jasper Whitlock."_

"_For real?_

"_Yes. I saw him on television yesterday, and I recognized him instantly. He's got that same goofy smile he's always had."_

"_So, what do you want to do?" Lonnie asked._

"_I have a way to permanently get rid of Jasper Whitlock, and a few other people, without getting our hands dirty."_

"_Okay, I'm listening."_

"_I know this guy, a former business partner of mine, who lives on this island. It's an uncharted island that's impossible to get to unless you know how. He has something there that can bring down a plane. I can give him a call and tell him to take down Jasper Whitlock's plane."_

"_Okay, but what if he gets off the island?"_

"_That's where you come in. You and your guys take a team of my people on a freighter to this island. Then, once you get there, kill anyone remaining on the island."_

"_How am I supposed to get to this island if no one can find it?"_

"_I know how to find it. I'll send my assistant, Eva, with you. She'll have a group of people with her. They need to recover something of mine from Aro, anyways. Eva has instructions to kill any survivors once the mission is complete. If she, for some reason, decides to be noble and bring them on board, kill her along with any of the survivors."_

"_Okay, tell me if I'm missing something, but how are you going to ensure Jasper Whitlock is on some plane?"_

"_He has a movie premiere coming up in Japan. It just so happens the woman who killed one of my best friends will be in Japan for a photo shoot. This will be the perfect time to take them all out."_

"_Okay," Lonnie said. "I'll get my men together. We'll be ready whenever you are."_

"_Perfect." I hung up the phone, smiling. I would finally be able to exact the revenge on all the people who wronged me in life._

********

"Okay, so when Eva comes out, we ask her about everything, agreed?" Edward asked everyone.

"Agreed," I said, squeezing Alice's hand.

"Do you really think we can get her to tell us where our kids are?" Leah asked.

"I have no idea. Well, if she tells us anything, it will put us ahead of where we are now. I mean, we have no idea where they are. They could be anywhere on this island, and we've only checked one area."

"And that one area was a trap," Cynthia reminded us. I nodded in agreement.

"Eva knew the kids weren't there. She took us there to fuck with us."

Bella sighed. "I know. It's just frustrating that we trusted this woman, and here she goes and teams up with someone who wants to harm our kids. I wonder who this guy is."

I thought about that too. It was obviously someone who knew about us and the island. It was someone who knew what had happened here, and it was someone who knew Eva. Suddenly, it dawned on me.

"It's her boss!" I hissed.

"Huh?"

"Her boss took our kids. It all makes sense now! I bet they were never here to rescue us. I guarantee they were always planning to kill us, no matter what Eva said."

"If you feel like explaining yourself, it would be a big help to all of us," Emmett said sarcastically.

"Okay, so whoever took our kids knew we were lying about the island. The only way he would know that is if he knew what happened here. Eva's boss sent her here, so he knew what was going on. He knew what island we were really on. He knew that there were more than ten that survived the crash. He knew everything. He was also the one who sent the freighter here and told those men to kill us."

"Oh my god," Alice gasped.

"I know. I think Eva knew about the plan to kill us from the beginning, but the other people from her team didn't. I think the only reason she brought us on the boat was that she wouldn't be able to explain to Savannah and the others why she was going to kill us. I mean, it would be a little odd. She knew the men on the boat would kill us anyways."

"That bitch!" Rosalie shrieked. "I knew from the beginning we never should have trusted her! See, I was right all along. She never wanted to save us. She's just a cold, heartless, miserable excuse for a person."

"My idea for beating the location of the kids out of her still stands," Emmett offered. I sighed.

"Now what are we going to do?" Bella asked.

"I say we go and grab her and force her to take us to our kids!" Mike said.

"I agree," Seth said. We all looked at Edward.

"Given the circumstances, I say that's the best option."

"All right!" Emmett cheered. "Let's go get us a bitch!" We all got up and stormed over to Eva's hut. Emmett, who was in the front, tore her door down and gasped.

I looked in, and saw it was empty. Eva had gone.

********

**James Howard carried the little girl back into the room where all the other children were. She was unconscious after what had just happened. He opened the cage where Evan was and laid her on the ground. She didn't move.**

"**What did you do to her?" Evan yelled.**

"**We just had a little fun," Jim said, laughing. This plan was going perfectly. He had the kids here and their parents were on the other side of the island, being fooled by Eva. Nothing could go wrong.**

**Suddenly, the door to the building burst open and Eva rushed in.**

"**Eva? What are you doing here?" Jim asked, confused.**

"**They know," she whispered.**

"**Who knows what?"**

"**Bella, Edward, all of them. They know I'm lying. They know it's you. They know we took their kids."**

**Jim sighed. "Oh well they know. Nothing we can do about it now. At least they don't know where we are."**

"**I think they might," she said quietly.**

"**What do you mean?" he growled.**

"**Bella had been talking about checking this area out, but I told her it was destroyed and there was nothing left. Now that she knows I was lying to her. I think they might come over here and check it out. When they get over here, they're going to see the buildings were rebuilt. We need to move."**

"**Eva, this is the best area to hold the kids. Where else on this island are there giant cages?"**

"**But J—"**

"**Besides, we are well protected here. I say let them come. Let them try to defeat me. I'm going to get the revenge I've been waiting for years to deliver. They will rue the day they ever crossed James Howard."**

"**I still don't know what they all did to you," Eva said, looking at her boss.**

"**Here, come with me and I'll explain it to you," Jim said, taking Eva's hand and pulling her into the next room. Once they had disappeared from sight, Evan Newton turned to look at Charlotte Cullen. Her eyes were still closed.**

"**Charlotte, wake up!" he whispered, grabbing his friend by the shoulders and shaking her. Charlotte opened her eyes.**

"**Evan? What happened?"**

"**Mr. Butthead took you into the other room for awhile." Charlotte giggled at the name Evan had given their captor. "He brought you back out and you were sleeping. Charlotte, you're bleeding!" Evan said suddenly, pointing at Charlotte's face. On her cheek, a gash was trickling blood. "What happened back there?"**

"**I don't really remember. I remember him bringing me in the back, then pulling at my clothes. When I bit him, he hit me, and that's the last thing I remember." She looked sadly at Evan.**

"**Why is there blood between your legs?" he asked, pointing to her. She looked down and saw the inside of her legs were bloody. She couldn't remember how it had gotten like that.**

"**I don't know." Charlotte began crying.**

"**Shh, it's going to be okay," Evan said, putting his arms around her.**

"**I just want my mommy!" she sobbed into Evan's chest. "I miss her and Daddy. I just want to go home."**

"**We're going to get out of here, I promise," Evan said, patting her on the back.**

"**How can you say that?" Charlotte asked, looking up at Evan with her big blue eyes.**

"**I have a plan."**

**Over in the cage next to Charlotte and Evan, Olivia and Emily were lying on the ground, crying.**

"**I want Mommy," Olivia cried.**

"**I want Daddy," Emily cried. The two sisters held each other's hands until the fell asleep, still crying for their parents.**

**Next to them, Ryan and Bryant were staring down at their cage mate, Gisele. The three-year-old hadn't said a word since she had been taken from the hotel room in California. Ryan was beginning to worry about her.**

"**Bryant, is she okay?"**

"**I don't know." Gisele had been lying on her side, sucking her thumb, for the past day. She just stared straight in front of her, not acknowledging anyone.**

"**Gisele?" Ryan said softly. She didn't appear to have heard him.**

"**I think she's in shock," Bryant said.**

"**Emmett is going to kill us if something happens to her."**

"**Not if this guy kills us first."**

**Okay, so I know this chapter was kind of boring. It's going to get much much better after this chapter right here since this was basically all the characters talking and not doing anything _ I'm sorry, but it was sort of necessary. Prepare for action next chapter! **


	10. Indestructible

Chapter 9: Indestructible

**AN: Woo thank you to everyone who reviewed. If I ever meet you, I'll buy you a cookie! And sorry I'm not updating sure frequently. I just started school, so I write when I can.**

EMMETT

"_Jim, how do I look?" Peyton asked, spinning around in my living room in her new gown. She looked like an angel. My sister always looked amazing, even if she only wore an old tee shirt, boxers, and no makeup._

"_You look stunning, P," I told her._

"_Are you just saying that because you're my brother?" she asked, staring at me with her blue eyes. Her blonde curls framed her face nicely while the silver gown hugged her curves perfectly. She looked like she belonged on the red carpet, not in my living room._

"_Peyton Howard!" I said, looking at her seriously. "You are the most beautiful woman I know. You look amazing. Are you going to stay here, fishing for compliments, or are you going to get out of here and go on your date?"_

"_Where's Mark?"_

"_Upstairs, playing with his toys. Now get out of here before Noah thinks you stood him up!" _

_She grinned at me. Even though we were both adults now, I still acted like her big brother. She gave me a peck on the cheek before grabbing her purse and running out of the house._

_I smiled—Peyton hadn't been on a date since Scott left her for his 19-year-old research assistant. I couldn't understand how anyone could leave Peyton. She was the perfect woman. Plus, he left their 10-year-old son, too._

_I walked upstairs to check in on Mark. He had fallen asleep on the floor, playing with his Lincoln Logs. I gently picked him up and placed him in his racecar bed. I pulled his Mickey Mouse covers over him and turned off the lights. I quietly left the room and went downstairs to watch TV._

_Around 11:30 that night, the phone rang._

"_Hello?"_

"_Is this James Howard?"_

"_Yes."_

"_James Howard of 435 Brookline Avenue?"_

"_Yes. Who is this?"_

"_Officer Wilson McIlvaine with the Beverly Hills Police Department."_

"_What can I do for you, officer?" I asked. Maybe Peyton had had a little __**too**__ much fun with Noah tonight."_

"_We need you to come down to the crime lab to identify a body."_

"_What?"_

"_We believe we have your sister's body here. We think she was the victim of a hit and run."_

"_What? How did this happen?"_

"_Based on the scene," Officer McIlvaine said, "We believe she was coming home when she got a flat tire. Something must have rolled into the street, so she went to grab it. That'd when a car drove around the corner and hit her. They left the scene. She's pretty beat up, so we can't make a proper identification based on the picture found on the scene. We need you to come down to verify it really is her."_

"_I'll be right down," I choked out. I hung up the phone and sunk into my favorite chair, not saying a word._

_I couldn't believe Peyton was gone. My baby sister, the most important thing in the world, was dead. Right then, I vowed I would find the person who killed her and make them suffer as much as I was suffering at this moment. They would be sorry they ever hit Peyton Howard._

********

EmPOV

"She's gone!" I shouted, peering into Eva's cabin.

"Gone?" Bella asked in disbelief. "How can she be gone?"

"Her cabin's empty. She must have heard us talking and snuck away," Leah reasoned. I cursed under my breath.

"Dammit!" Jasper shouted, slamming his fist into the wall of her abandoned cabin. "What are we going to do now?"

Alice said nothing. She put her hand on Jasper's shoulder as she passed by him and walked into the deserted hut. Jasper was more relaxed when Alice emerged a moment later with a sheet of paper in her hands.

"What's that?" I asked. She handed it to me. I looked it over before reading it aloud:

_To the JAL 10,  
Congratulations. You finally figured out my big secret. I'm surprised it took you so long. I guess you're not as smart as Jim and I thought you were. Now, before I leave you for good, I thought I'd make things a little more interesting at camp. Everyone here has a secret they're keeping from everyone else. Unfortunately for all of you, I know what they are, and I'm going to reveal them right now! Let's start with little Alice Whitlock. She tried to kill herself, so she went to rehab. When she was there, she hooked up with Mark Howard, my boss's nephew. She's the reason he's dead. Her husband, Jasper Whitlock, hasn't been going by his birth name for more than 20 years. Hey, Jasper, does Samuel Granger ring a bell? Leah Newton and her father used to have a lot of fun under the covers when she was a kid. Michael Newton, I have two words for you: statutory rape. Isabella Cullen is white trash who got knocked up when she was 14, then worked at a stripper club for 3 years. Her husband was screwing her while he was still married to another woman. Emmett Cullen killed a woman in a hit and run when he was a teenager. As for Rosalie, Emmett had better watch out. The men she ends up marrying tend to wind up dead. Well, I guess murderers stick together.  
Ta ta,  
Eva_

Everyone was staring at each other, unsure of what to say. Alice decided to break the silence first. She turned to her husband. "Samuel Granger?" she asked.

"My family was killed when I was a kid. My name was changed to protect me."

"Why didn't you tell me? Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I do, Alice. It's something from my past that I don't want to remember. And anyways, what did she mean by 'she's the reason he's dead?'"

"I have no idea. I thought Mark died from an overdose."

They were cut off by Leah's earsplitting screech. "Statutory rape!?" she screamed at Mike while she hit him in the chest with her fists."

"Leabug, let me explain!" he begged, trying to push her off him."

"Don't call me that!" she spat at him. Explain to me why I shouldn't kick your ass right now!"

"I was 19! She was 16! It was a long time ago, and I thought it was expunged from my record! I'm sorry I never told you! I put it behind me once it was cleared from my record. I'm so sorry I never told you."

She surveyed him with accusing eyes. "Okay, I believe you." She kissed him lightly on the lips.

"You don't need to explain anything to me, baby," he told her, referring to the accusations Eva made against her. "I know what happened, and I don't want to bring it up for you again. I love you." The two of them kissed again.

Edward and Bella were standing there, watching everyone. They already knew each other's secrets. After all, their dirty laundry had been all over the tabloids.

Now was the moment of truth. Rosalie and I turned to face each other.

"Murder?" I asked her. She nodded.

"Hit and run?" she asked. I nodded. I might as well be honest now.

"_Why didn't you tell me?"_ we both screamed at each other. We glared at each other for a moment before we stormed away from each other. I went to sit by the fire pit while Rosalie sat on the beach. Edward, Jasper, Newton, and Seth came over to sit with me while all the chicks went to check on my murderess of a wife.

"Cullen, what was that about?" Newton asked as he took a seat next to me.

"She lied to me," I said, looking up at my four best friends. "I knew she was married. I knew her husband died. Why didn't she trust me enough to tell me she killed him? I've been married to a murderer for the past 7 years." I put my head in my hands.

"Well, didn't you kind of do the same thing?" Jasper asked. I glared at him. "Hear me out!" he said, raising his hands. "She killed someone and didn't tell you about it. You did the same thing. You're even."

"Don't even compare me to her!" I shouted at him. "I never planned to kill that woman, but she planned to kill her husband. She killed him in cold blood. How do I know she wouldn't do the same thing to me?"

"Emmett?" a voice asked. I looked up and saw Alice standing there, looking at me with cautious eyes. "Will you go and talk to Rose? She's really upset."

"We need to get going so we can find the kids," I snapped, ignoring her. She looked at me, but didn't say anything. I picked up my gun and shoved it in my pocket. We all gathered together and headed into the jungle. I saw Rosalie's eyes were red, but I didn't care. She would die right now, and I wouldn't care. I walked in the lead with Edward right behind me. He was smart enough not to talk to me.

How could she lie to me like that? How could she never tell me she killed her ex-husband? Rosalie, the love of my life, mother of my two daughters, had been lying to me ever since I sat next to her on Japanese flight 2232. I couldn't believe a word she had ever said to me—they all were a lie. She was a heartless murderer, and I was happy I found out now before it was too late.

"Emmett," Bella said, coming up next to me.

"What?" I growled at her. She didn't seem to be fazed by my tone.

"You need to talk to her."

"Why would I do that? You heard what Eva said—she _killed_ her ex-husband!"

"First of all, why would you believe Eva over your wife? Secondly, you killed someone too."

"I am not discussing this with you. You can tell that—that—that _skank_ that I don't have anything to say to her."

Bella glared at me. "I'm not acting like your messenger! If you want to tell her something, grow a pair and tell her yourself!" She turned and started walking back to Edward. "Oh, Emmett?" she said, turning back to face me. "Remember, there are two sides to every story."

Two sides? What did she mean, two sides? Did she mean Rosalie didn't kill her husband? No, Bella pretty much confirmed she actually did in the conversation. I shook my head. Murder is murder, and there's no forgiving that.

********

_Mark and I sat in the front row at Peyton's burial. Mark was crying next to me, so I tried to comfort him. After all, he had no one but me left. His mother was dead and his dad had left years ago._

"_It's okay, doc," I said, putting an arm around his shoulders._

"_Jim," someone said, coming up to me, "I'm terribly sorry for your loss." I looked up and saw it was my old friend, Dr. Carlisle Cullen, with his wife, Esme. I didn't see his two sons with them. _

"_Thank you, Carlisle. That means a lot coming from you. Where are your sons? Edward and Emmett, right?"_

"_Edward's with a friend while Emmett's being grounded. He was in a car accident by our house a few nights ago after playing a few drinking games with some friends. Kids these days," he muttered. "Once again, we're very sorry for your loss. I know Peyton meant a lot to you." Esme nodded and the two of them walked away._

_I sat with Mark, thinking about what Carlisle had just said._

_Emmett was in a car accident a few nights ago by his house. Peyton was hit by a car a few nights ago over by the Cullen's. Emmett had been drinking and driving. The police thought the person who had hit Peyton was drunk._

_It was too big a coincidence—Emmett Cullen had killed my sister._

_After the ceremony, Mark and I drove home. He went upstairs to go lay down while I sat at the kitchen table and planned._

_Emmett Cullen had taken away my sister, the love of my life, without a second thought. He obviously felt no remorse for what he had done._

_I knew what I would do. One day, when Emmett was older, when he was married and had his own family, I would take it all away. I would take away the love of his life so he would know how I felt in this moment. He would know how I felt when he killed my sister._

********

By the next morning, we had reached the native's old camp. Eva had obviously been lying to us since it was still standing. In fact, some of the buildings looked like they had been rebuilt.

Around the perimeter, there were no guards. That was a good sign. If the place was heavily guarded, it would be impossible to sneak in undetected.

I locked my eyes with Edward, and the two of us led the group up to the edge of the camp. I pressed my finger to my lips, telling everyone to shut up.

"What building to you think they're in?" Edward asked in a whisper.

"I bet it's where James took me when he kidnapped me," Bella said quietly.

"Why?" Alice asked.

"Don't you remember all the cages that building had? It would be the perfect place to hold the kids so they couldn't escape. He could watch them easily, and there would be no way the kids could escape."

"It was back there," Jasper said, pointing to a dirt path. We walked down it and found the building Bella was talking about. Signaling to everyone to follow me, I led the group inside.

"Daddy!" I heard a small voice cry. I looked around and saw Charlotte, my eldest daughter, with her face pressed against the bars of a cage used to hold animals, looking at me. Next to her, Evan Newton was standing there, trying to look for his mother.

"They're here!" I shouted. Everyone else came rushing in. I ran over to the cage and grabbed my daughter through the bars. I felt her tears hit my skin when I pulled her into a hug. "Shh, baby," I soothed. "It's okay. Daddy's here—nothing's going to happen to you." All around me, I heard my friends comforting the other kids in the other cages.

I pulled my gun out of my pocket and shot the lock off the cage Charlotte was in. It fell off and I swung the door open. Charlotte bolted into my arms and I held her close, finally reunited with my daughter.

I looked over and saw Rosalie, holding Gisele.

"Where's David?" I heard Alice shriek. I looked around and saw both David and Maribel were missing.

"The mean man brought them in there," Charlotte said, pointing to a door. Alice sprinted through it, desperate to find her only son. I held Charlotte close, never wanting to let go of her again. I stood her up in front of me and looked her over, making sure she wasn't hurt. I saw she had some blood on the inside of her right leg. I went to clean it when she pushed my hand away and started shaking

"Honey, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't know," she said sadly. "I woke up and there was blood on my legs and it hurt in between them." She wrapped her little arms around my neck and started sobbing.

That bastard! How could anyone do that to my daughter? How could anyone do that to Charlotte?

"Help," I heard a small voice squeak. I looked over and saw Alice holding David and Maribel in her arms with a gun pointed at her head. I felt Charlotte tighten in my arms out of fear.

"Well, well, well," a voice sneered. The man pointing the gun at Alice was looking at all of us. "So, you finally found them. Bravo." He had an evil look to him, like he didn't care if everyone here lived or died. He pushed Alice away from him and turned his gun and eyes on me.

"Why are you doing this?" Bella cried.

"Why?" he laughed, looking at her. "Well, I don't put much faith in the justice system. After all, OJ Simpson walked away scot free, didn't he? An eye for an eye, that's my motto." He looked at all of us, but continued. "Edward, did you care how Tanya felt when you left her for another woman? And Bella, did you care Edward was already married when you started fucking him? No! Do you know why? Because you're terrible people. I don't care about you two right now," he said, turning his glare on Rosalie. "Ah, our Playmate of the Year! How wonderful. Tell me, Rosalie Cullen, is it common practice to poison your husband's dinner, watch him die on the floor, then leave down and start your life over?"

Rosalie stood up and pushed Gisele behind her. She looked at him helplessly. "I—"

"Save it. Bitches like you don't deserve to live." He pulled the trigger, and I watched the bullet pierce the air before disappearing into Rosalie's abdomen. She collapsed onto the ground, blood spilling out of the place the bullet had just entered.

The man looked at her for a moment before running away.

Gisele was screaming, trying to make Rosalie get up off the ground.

At that moment, I didn't care what Rosalie had done. I didn't care that she had murdered her ex-husband. I didn't care that she had poisoned his dinner and watched him die. All I cared about was that Rosalie Cullen, my wife, the woman I had been in love with since she sat next to me on Japanese Airlines flight 2232, the mother of my children, was dying on the floor.

"Rose!" I shouted, putting Charlotte down and sprinting over to my wife. "Rosie baby, say something!" I begged, pulling her into my arms. The blood was pooling out of her and onto my. I saw the color start to drain from her face.

"Emmett," she croaked, putting her hand on my chest. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

"Rosie," I said desperately, "I don't care! I don't care what you did! I love you! Do you hear me? I _love_ you! You're the woman of my dreams and always will be! Please don't leave me!"

She coughed, and a bunch of blood flew out of her mouth and onto my shirt.

"Emmett, I need you to listen to me," she whispered. "I want you to promise me something. Promise me you'll take care of Charlotte and Gisele."

"Baby, don't talk like that! You can pull through this!"

"Em, be realistic. I'm dying, and you know it. I know you want to go and kill the bastard who did this to me, but I want you to be there for Lola and Gigi." She coughed again, and her face was almost pale white now. I knew her time was almost up. I grabbed her face and pulled her lips to mine, kissing her for the last time.

When we parted, I whispered in her ear, "I'll never stop loving you."

"I love you, Emmett. I always have, and I always will." She shivered and I watched the life drain out of her eyes. I felt her body drop because there was no one left in it. It was just a shell. A reminder of the woman who I loved. I looked in her eyes and saw she was gone. She was never coming back.

I pulled her close to me and started sobbing. My wife was dead. I couldn't believe it. Ever since I had met Rose, she had seemed so indestructible. It seemed like nothing could ever take her down, but now she was gone forever.

Slowly, I laid her body on the ground. She seemed so peaceful—like she was only sleeping. Perhaps death was peaceful.

I grabbed my gun off the ground and shoved it in my pocket. I gave Lola and Gigi each a kiss before I headed for the door.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" Edward asked. I ignored him and ran out of the building into the jungle, determined the kill the man who ruined my life.


	11. Gone

Chapter 10: Gone

**AN: Woo thanks for all the reviews guys. And, sadly, yes, Rosalie is dead. She's not coming back. I know you all probably hate me for this :( Also, no flashback in this chapter. I don't think I'm going to have anymore flashbacks, but I don't want to say definitely not in case I change my mind.**

EPOV

She's gone.

Rosalie's gone.

And Emmett, he just ran away. He left his kids and ran away.

I just stood there in the middle of the room, not doing anything. I saw people screaming and crying, but I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't feel my body. I couldn't do a damn thing.

"Edward!" Bella's voice brought me out of my trance. "Edward, can't you do something?" she said, holding Rosalie's lifeless body in her arms. Charlotte and Gisele were standing around their mother, desperately trying to wake her up.

I shook my head. I knew she was already gone, and there was nothing I could do to bring her back.

"Edward, you're a doctor! Can't you do anything? I mean, she can't be dead!" Bella started sobbing as she pulled Rosalie's body closer to her. Charlotte and Gisele were screaming now, terrified since their mother was dead and their father had left.

"Bella!" I said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away from the body, "She's gone!" Bella threw her arms around me and started sobbing into my chest.

I felt her body shaking as each new sob was released from her body. Eventually, she looked up at me. "You have to go," she said.

"What?"

"Edward, he's your brother. You have to go after him and talk some sense into him. If he goes after the guy who did this, he's going to get himself killed!"

"But what about you guys? You can't just stay here!"

"We'll head for the beach," Jasper said, coming up behind Bella. "We'll take the kids and head for the beach. We need to get off this island. Edward, you go and bring Emmett back. He's going to do something stupid and get himself killed!"

"What are we supposed to do with her?" I asked, gesturing towards Rosalie's body. "We can't just leave her here."

"I'll carry her," Newton said, walking next to her body. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms.

"What are we supposed to do if someone finds us? We know we're not on this island alone." Bella looked at me, her brown eyes widening.

"Use this," I said, putting my gun in her hand. "You have to protect yourself along with Olivia and Emily. I don't know what I would do if something happened to any of you. You don't realize how much you mean to me, Bella." I put my hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes.

"No, _you_ don't know how important you are to me. Promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you'll come back to me. Promise you'll come back alive."

"Bella, I will never leave you. I promise I'll come back." I pulled her face to mine and kissed her, knowing I might never see her again, knowing the next time she saw me, I would probably be dead. I pulled back and looked at her. Tears were falling down her cheeks.

I turned to my daughters who were standing next to Bella. I squatted on the ground and looked at them.

"Okay girls, I need you to listen to me. You're going to go into the jungle with Mommy and everyone else. If you hear anything at all, I want you to either lie down on the ground or hide behind something. If you see anyone, you need to hide. Do you understand?"

They nodded. "Daddy, where are you going?" Olivia asked, looking at me with Bella's eyes on her face.

"I'm going to get Uncle Emmett. Emily, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Daddy." They both put their arms around my, and I hoped it wasn't the last time I would get to hold my daughters.

I got up and turned to Jasper. "Jas, did you bring the rafts with you?" I asked, pointing to his bag.

"All here."

"Okay, listen to me. If I'm not back by nightfall, you guys need to leave. If you see someone come, leave, even if it's still light out."

Jasper nodded. I knew he wouldn't hesitate to leave me behind if Alice and David were in trouble.

I grabbed my bag off the ground and turned to leave.

"Edward!" I turned around as Bella threw herself into my arms and pressed her lips to mine, kissing me with more intensity than she ever had before. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me. I felt the tears running down her face as she kissed me. I knew she knew I might not come back.

I put her back on the ground, still holding her close.

"Be safe," she whispered in my ear. I looked into her eyes one more time before I turned around and left the building.

I walked into the jungle and looked around. My brother could be anywhere on this island. I was fucked.

********

BPOV

"We need to get the hell out of here," I hissed at Alice once Edward had disappeared from sight. I didn't know where he was going to go, but I couldn't worry about him right now. I had to worry about Emily and Olivia. I had to get them to safety. I also had to worry about Charlotte and Gisele, since there was no one else here for them.

"Jas, you lead the way," Alice said, pushing her husband with one hand while she held her son in her other arm. I picked Emily up while Olivia held onto my shirt. Leah was carrying Maribel while Mike carried Rosalie's lifeless body. Jasper had Gisele in his arms. She hadn't said one word since we had arrived, and I was starting to worry about her. I didn't know what kind of things had happened to our kids, and I didn't want to know.

"Bella, give me Emily," Cynthia said, holding out her arms. I placed my daughter in her hands and picked up Olivia instead. Charlotte and Evan were right behind Jasper while Bryant and Ryan followed them.

Every so often, Jasper would stop, look around, and motion for everyone to stay quiet. After we had stopped for a few minutes, we would start walking again, usually in a different direction than we had been walking before.

We had been walking for about two hours when we heard voices.

"Get down!" Jasper hissed, dropping to the ground and pulling his gun out of his pocket. I got behind the nearest tree and held Olivia against my chest. I wasn't going to give my daughter up willingly. If they wanted her, they were going to have to pry her from my dead, lifeless hands.

"…so then I say, you get it yourself, bitch! And then I shoved her down the stairs!" I heard two men laugh loudly. I could feel Olivia shaking in my arms. I pressed my lips into her cheek and tried to calm her down while still staying quiet.

"Man, what the fuck are we even doing out here?" the second man asked. "I mean, it's not like we're going to find these people. I don't know what Jim's deal with these people is. I mean, I know the one killed his sister and the one bitch poisoned his best friend, but other than that, why the hell did he want to kill them?"

"Todd, don't you know who the one guy is?"

"No."

"It's the brat we were supposed to knock off however many years ago."

"Gabe, we've killed a lot of people. You expect me to remember someone we were _supposed_ to kill?"

"The Grangers."

"Oh yeah!" the guy named Todd said, laughing. "I remember the little girl wouldn't stop screaming. I finally had to slit her throat to get her to shut up. I thought we knocked off the whole family?"

"No, the boy wasn't there."

"You're saying one of the kids he kidnapped was that kid? Dude, he'd be like 30-something now!"

"You dumbass! He's the _father_ of one of the kids Jim snatched."

"Oh."

"Man, I don't even know why he sent us to find them. These dumb fucks are going to be hiding, even if they're in this area." I pressed my hand tighter over Olivia's mouth. I peered over at the next tree and saw Cynthia sitting with Evan and Charlotte, a hand over each of their mouths.

"Hey, if we find these bitches, can I off one of the little girls? You know, for old time's sake."

"I don't see why not." Both men laughed, and I kept my hand over Olivia's lips. I felt her tears hit my hand, so I pulled her closer to me.

"I don't know why the _fuck_ he even wanted to bring them to this fucking place," the one sighed, his voice getting farther away. I let out a sigh of relief. Fuck!

"What was that?" one of the men said, walking back towards us. "I definitely heard something!"

"Check behind those trees!" the other one commanded, probably pointing to where we were. I shut my eyes and pulled Olivia close to me.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" the man leered. I looked up and saw him looking down at us. "Get up, bitch," he said, grabbing my hair and pulling me off the ground. He grabbed Olivia and carried him with her. He pulled us out of the clearing and away from everyone else. I looked back and saw Cynthia looking at me helplessly.

"Help!" I screamed. "Someone help us!"

"Get your asses back on the ground!" I heard the other guy shout. He probably had a gun pointed at everyone else. The man continued dragging me through the trees. I heard Olivia screaming, but I couldn't turn my head to see her. He stopped and let go of me. I heard Olivia let out a cry before the man grabbed me again.

I was turned over onto my back. I looked up and saw him kneeling over me, a hungry look in his eyes. He had long, scraggly brown hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in over a week. He needed a shave badly, and his clothes were dirty and ripped.

He pulled a knife out of his pocket and held it to my throat. I heard Olivia let out a scream, but I refused to show any fear. I had to remain brave for her. "Baby, be quiet," I called out. I heard her sobbing quietly, but she was no longer screaming.

"Damn. You may be a bitch, but you're a _hot_ bitch," the man slurred, looking down at my body. I kept my eyes off his face and looked up at the trees above me. "Look at me, bitch," the man said, grabbing my face and forcing me to look into his cold, black eyes. I saw no soul in them. He grabbed my shirt, lifting me off the ground and closer to his face. "I'm gonna kill you," he breathed in my ear. "You know that, right? I'm gonna kill you and your pretty little girl."

He shoved me back onto the ground. He stuck his knife under my shirt and cut it off. He looked down at me and dragged his finger across one of the scars on my chest, the one made by James.

"Very nice," he said. "James did some good work on you. Didn't he, sugar?"

Images flashed through my head. James, raping me when I was only 13. Felix, taking me from camp and handing me over to James. James, raping me at the native's camp. James, slicing my skin open with a knife. Edward, killing James with his bare hands. Edward, rescuing me from Aro.

Every time I was in trouble, someone had to rescue me. But not anymore!

"Get...off…of…ME!" I screamed, pushing the man on top of me. He stumbled backwards and I got up. I punched him in the face and he fell backwards. He got up and looked at me with a sick smile on his face.

"That was a really stupid thing to do," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Olivia. "Say goodbye to your pretty little girl."

There was a gunshot and I fell to my knees, screaming at the top of my lungs.

********

APOV

I lay on the ground, my body shaking.

There were two men here, looking for us, wanting to kill us.

I held David close to me and prayed he wouldn't start crying. All we needed now was for my son to wake up and cause these men to find and kill us.

"The Grangers," the one guy said. My eyes widened. Didn't Eva say Jasper's old name was Samuel Granger?

"Oh yeah!" the guy named Todd said, laughing. "I remember the little girl wouldn't stop screaming. I finally had to slit her throat to get her to shut up. I thought we knocked off the whole family?"

"No, the boy wasn't there."

"You're saying one of the kids he kidnapped was that kid? Dude, he'd be like 30-something now!"

"You dumbass! He's the _father_ of one of the kids Jim snatched."

Oh, shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit! These guys murdered Jasper's family. I looked over at where Jasper had been last, but I didn't see him. I didn't see anyone.

I heard someone let out a sigh. Crap!

"What was that?" one of the men said, walking back towards us. "I definitely heard something!" They had been leaving, and now they were coming back.

"Check behind those trees!" I lifted my head slightly and looked to where the one was walking.

"Help!" I heard Bella scream. "Somebody help us!" She and Olivia's screams were getting farther away. I had to do something! I jumped up off the ground and started to run after them.

"Get your asses back on the ground!" the other guy shouted, pointing his gun at me. I looked over and saw Seth freeze where he was. I slowly kneeled back on the ground, keeping David close to me.

The one man pulled out a walkie-talkie and held it to him mouth. "Jim, this is Gabe. We got them." I looked around and saw everyone else sitting, looking terrified. We were surrounded by seven men, each of them with a gun.

It was the end of the road. We were done for.

Gabe was in the middle, staring at us. I knew and he knew they were going to kill us all. There was no way out. Edward and Emmett were god knows where. Bella and Olivia were probably being killed as we sat here. For all I knew, David and I could be next.

Jasper sat with Gisele on his lap, glaring at Gabe.

"Don't I know you?" Gabe said, finally noticing Jasper.

"I don't know. Do you?" he snarled.

"You're the kid! I know it! You're the kid I was supposed to kill back with your family."

"Why would you want to kill me?"

"Hey man, don't be like that! I was hired by Jim to take out your family."

"And why would he want to do that?" Jasper asked, staring down the barrel of Gabe's gun. I sat there, shaking, staring at Jasper. I don't know what I would do if they killed him like Rosalie. I don't know how I could live if he was taken away from me.

"Your father got some promotion or something. Jim was jealous. He hired us to take out the entire family. Luckily for you, we wouldn't find you."

"Lucky? LUCKY?" Jasper shouted, rising to his feet. He put Gisele on the ground and stood right in front of Gabe. "I walked into my little sister's room and saw her on the ground, massacred. I walked into my parent's room for help, only to find that someone had killed them. I had nightmares and lived in foster homes for most of my life. Explain to me how that makes me lucky?"

"What's going on here?" a voice asked. I looked up and saw Eva stroll into the clearing. All of the guards turned and looked at her, but she kept her eyes on Gabe and Jasper. "Gabe, what the hell are you doing? Put the gun down before you hurt yourself." He grumbled as he lowered his weapon.

"You cold-hearted bitch!" Jasper snarled, charging at her. She pulled out a gun and pointed it at him. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"It's nice to see you too, Jasper."

I heard a scream in the distance.

"What was that?" Eva asked Gabe.

"Todd took the one bitch and her kid."

"You _idiot_! The instructions were to keep everyone here! How could you be so stupid?"

"Hey, don't get on my case! Todd wants to go fuck the bitch and kill her daughter, it's fine by me!"

I shuddered and held onto David. I looked back at Jasper, who was standing right behind Eva. She wasn't looking at him, but her gun was still on him.

"C'mon, Eva," Gabe was saying. "Jim wants them all dead, so what's the difference if we do it or he does?"

She sighed. "I guess you're right. J can't get mad at us for finishing his job." She turned to face Jasper. "I wish I could say I'm sorry, but I'm not." She grinned as she pulled the trigger.

********

EmPOV

Tree. Tree. Tree. Rock. Tree. Tree. Sand. Snake. Tree. Tree. Tree.

I ran through the jungle, barely taking in the surroundings. I ran past tree after tree, searching for that no good piece of scum who killed my wife. I had my gun out in front of me, just in case I saw him. I wasn't going to waste time talking. I was just going to aim and shoot.

I'd been searching for an hour, but I still hadn't found him. I hoped Edward and everyone else was headed for the beach by now. They needed to get those rafts up and get everyone off the island. I knew I wasn't going to make it back. I was going to kill this fucker, even if it killed me.

I heard some footsteps, so I ducked behind the nearest tree and hid. Someone was right here. I only hoped I was lucky enough that is was that bastard Jim Howard.

I looked out from behind the tree and saw Edward in the jungle, looking right at me. Fuck, what was he doing here?

"Edward?" I asked, coming out. "What are you doing here?"

"Bella sent me to talk some sense into you."

"I don't want to hear it. Go back to your wife and kids. I need to do this." I turned around and walked away.

"Do you really think killing him will make the pain you feel go away?" he called after me. I turned and looked at him. "Emmett, don't do this. You'll feel guilty for the rest of your life."

"Why would I feel guilty about murdering the man who raped my daughter and killed my wife?"

"I thought the same thing. How could I feel guilty about killing James and Aro? Emmett, it still haunts me. I killed those men in cold blood. I'll never get that out of my mind. Don't do this Emmett!"

"Edward, he killed my wife! He hurt Charlotte! He has to die!"

"Emmett, this is suicide! You know he'll kill you before you even have a chance to dire one shot!"

"Edward, I can't! I can't just let him get away! If I do, he'll come after us again. I have to make sure he can never hurt any of us again!"

Edward looked at me for a minute before we were both interrupted.

"So sorry for interrupting this touching family moment, but I believe you're looking for me," Jim sneered, entering the clearing. He was holding a gun and looking straight at me. I felt the hatred pour into my body.

He continued. "You know, I'm disappointed. I expected you to fire as soon as you spotted me. I mean, I did kill your wife. To be fair, she killed my best friend."

"Who cares," I snarled. "Who cares what she did! She was a good person, and you killed her! Now Charlotte and Gisele will grow up without their mother!"

"Ooh, too bad. I don't care. A murderer deserves to pay, and she never paid for her crime."

"She paid her whole life," Edward said, looking at Jim. I turned to him.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean she killed her husband who was going to kill her. I treated her once when I was working in New York. She had a broken wrist, and she wouldn't say it, but I could tell her boyfriend or whatever did it to her." He was glaring at Jim now.

He shook his head and laughed. "She must have fooled you all well. Rosalie was nothing but a cold, manipulative bitch that deserved to die."

I pulled out my gun and pointed it right at him. "Don't talk about my wife that way." I stared at him, never blinking.

"What, are you going to kill me now?" he asked, amused.

I looked at him, and he looked at me. I pulled the trigger.

**OMG! What happened with Bella and Olivia? Or Jasper and the other group? Or Emmett and Edward? Ahh the suspense is killing me! Find out in the next chapter!**


	12. Shauna

Chapter 11: Shauna

**AN: Thanks to all my reviewers. You guys would rock my socks off, if I wore socks, which I don't because I live in flip-flops. Well, you get the idea :)**

JPOV

Eva the bitch and Gabe the murderer were standing in the middle of the clearing, arguing over whether or not they should kill me. Eva wasn't looking at me, but I knew she wouldn't hesitate to shoot me if I took one step.

I glanced over at Alice and saw she was cradling David in her arms, looking right at me. I wanted to reach into my pants and pull out my gun, but I knew seven people would shoot me before I had a chance to fire.

Eva turned to me. I guess they had finally made a decision.

"I wish I could say I'm sorry, but I'm not." She grinned at me and I knew I was dead. I knew she was going to pull the trigger and kill me right here in front of my wife and son. I was prepared to die.

What I wasn't prepared for was what she did next. She spun around and fired the gun into Gabe's chest five times. He dropped over, dead. I stared at him, then her, not sure what was really going on. I was ready for the other guards to shoot her, but they didn't.

"You can lower your weapons now," Eva said to the other guards. They obeyed her.

"What the—? How did you—? I'm confused," I said, staring from Eva to the guards to Alice. She looked just as confused as I was.

"Jasper, did you honestly think I was with Jim Howard after he tried to kill me? I only pretended to be with him to protect you guys. I'm sorry if I seemed like a cold-hearted bitch, but I needed Jim to believe that I wanted you all dead. My real name isn't Eva Bruster."

"It's not?" Alice asked, looking at her.

She smiled. "No. My name is Shauna Casey, and I'm an agent for the United States CIA."

We all stared at her, very confused. "I'm sorry, but what the fuck are you talking about?"

She laughed. "I'm one of the top agents for the CIA. We've been after James Howard for many years because we suspected he was selling weapons of mass destruction to terrorists in the Middle East, but we never imagined he was corroborating with Aro Volturi to poison the entire human race."

"I thought you said—"

"That's what we thought, but he was actually using Aro. He had planned to kill him all along. I've been working undercover as his person assistant since 2006. Even my roommate thought my name was Eva."

"I can't believe it," Cynthia said, standing up. "If you're with the CIA, then who are these guys?" she asked, pointing to our now-friendly guards.

"Members of the United States army. They were brought here as both protection for you and me."

Another scream ripped through the jungle. Shauna looked around.

"Where's Bella?" she asked.

"That other guy took her and Olivia," Cynthia answered, pointing behind us.

"Jason and Dan, go find her and help her!" she commanded. Two of the guards ran into the trees to go find Bella. "Now, where are Edward and Emmett?"

"Emmett went after Jim for killing Rosalie and Edward went to find him before he got himself killed," Mike supplied.

"He killed Rosalie?" she gasped. Mike nodded. "Crap! I was trying to prevent this. He brought you all here to kill you and your children. I went off to inform these guys of the plan, then sent them out with Gabe and Todd to find you all. When I got back to the building, Jim was gone. I came out here to find you guys, and it looks like I got here just in time." She shoved Gabe's dead body with her foot.

"Wait," Leah said, waving her hands. "So, you're on our side?"

Eva/Shauna nodded. "I've been trying to help you from the beginning. I know you didn't believe or trust me, but that's because I couldn't tell you who I really was or it would have blown our whole cover. I was supposed to work as his assistant to gather information on him. Then, he ended up sending me here, which is when I found out he was planning on betraying Aro, not to stop him from destroying the world, but to get the plans so he could have them for himself. My orders were to kill you all, but I obviously wasn't going to do that. Then, I was almost killed and I've been living the past 8 years in New York, figuring out how I was going to stop him. I was actually the woman in California who showed you how to get here. I had to—it was the only way I could stop him. I'm so sorry for everything that's happened."

"Wait—how do we know you're not lying now?" Mike asked, eyeing her skeptically. I agreed with him—everything she'd told us had been a lie. What made this any different?

"Here," she said, tossing him a wallet. He looked at it, then passed it to me. It was her badge from the CIA. She wasn't lying. "Now, I need all of you to head to the beach—Patrick and George will lead you. You need to hurry before Jim finds you all."

"Where are you going?" Alice asked.

"To find Emmett and Edward."

********

BPOV

He shoved me back onto the ground. He stuck his knife under my shirt and cut it off. He looked down at me and dragged his finger across one of the scars on my chest, the one made by James.

"Very nice," he said. "James did some good work on you. Didn't he, sugar?"

Images flashed through my head. James, raping me when I was only 13. Felix, taking me from camp and handing me over to James. James, raping me at the native's camp. James, slicing my skin open with a knife. Edward, killing James with his bare hands. Edward, rescuing me from Aro.

Every time I was in trouble, someone had to rescue me. But not anymore!

"Get...off…of…ME!" I screamed, pushing the man on top of me. He stumbled backwards and I got up. I punched him in the face and he fell backwards. He got up and looked at me with a sick smile on his face.

"That was a really stupid thing to do," he said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Olivia. "Say goodbye to your pretty little girl."

There was a gunshot and I fell to my knees, screaming at the top of my lungs.

Todd's head was blown off. Pieces of his skull and brain flew off and hit me on the face and chest. One minute he had been standing there, the next, he was dead, and I didn't know how.

I looked over towards the trees and saw two men with guns, both of them pointed at me. I knew who they were—they worked for Jim Howard.

"Please don't kill me!" I shrieked, falling to my knees and holding my hands over my head.

"We're not here to kill you," the one said. "We're here to rescue you."

"I don't understand," I said slowly.

"We're with the United States army. We were sent here with a CIA agent to rescue your entire group from James Howard." The other guard was walking over towards Olivia. He put his gun against a tree before he bent down to pick her up. He carried her over to me while the other man helped me off the ground. He then took his shirt off and handed it to me. I pulled it on before the other guard handed me Olivia.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked.

"Back in the clearing with Shauna and the rest of our men."

"Shauna?" I asked. "I don't know anyone named Shauna."

"Sorry. You know her as Eva."

"Eva?" I shrieked. "That bitch tried to kill us!"

"Relax. She's been working as an undercover agent for the CIA since 2006. She's been working as James Howard's assistant to gather information about him for the FBI."

I looked at him like he had three heads.

"Jason," the other guard said, "We need to bring them back to the other group."

"You're right, Dan. Follow me," he said to me. I followed him back to where I was taken from. When we got there, it was empty. Everyone had left.

"What happened?" I asked, panicked.

"They probably left for the ship. I'm going to bring you and your daughter to the ship that's waiting for us off the beach." I followed both the guards through the jungle, holding onto Olivia tightly. I still didn't trust these men 100 percent, even if they said they were here to help me. I'd been tricked too many times.

We kept walking until we made it to the beach. There, I saw everyone else standing there with more guards, waiting for something.

"Mommy!" Emily shouted, reaching towards me while she was still in Seth's arms. I ran over to her with Olivia.

"Baby!" I cried, kissing her on the head. "Oh, thank goodness you're okay!"

"Bella, are you all right?" Cynthia asked, looking at me.

"I'm fine. In fact, if Dan and Jason hadn't come, Olivia would have been dead."

"Wow."

"Do you think this is for real?" I whispered to her, nodding my head towards the armed guards.

"I don't know what to believe. I want to believe it, but we've been lied to so many times, I never know who's lying and who's telling the truth."

I nodded in agreement. "And Eva's on our side again?"

"Apparently. She said her real name is Shauna something and she's been an undercover agent for the CIA. I don't know if I believe her, but I hope she's telling the truth."

"It seems like de-ja-vu," I said. "I mean, last time, we were rescued by Eva/Shauna and brought on to some freighter in the middle of the ocean. Looks like we're doing the same thing all over again."

"Let's just hope we're not thrown into a cell and almost killed."

I laughed and nodded in agreement. I looked around but didn't see Edward. "Are Edward and Emmett back?"

She shook her head. "No. Eva/Shauna went into the jungle to go find them."

"By herself?"

"No. She took a few guards with her, just in case. I mean, it's very likely she'll run into Jim and he probably wants to kill her."

"Try definitely."

"Everyone!" one of the guards called, standing by a zodiac next to the water's edge. "We need to start transporting you all to the boat. We can only take six at a time, not including the driver. We need to move as quickly as possible. I promise, you will all be safe once you reach the boat."

Cynthia and I looked at each other. It was _exactly_ like last time.

********

EPOV

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck!

How the hell did I get into situations like this?

Emmett and Jim were having some kind of standoff. Emmett was yelling about Rose and Jim was yelling about his sister. I stayed in the back, hoping not to get involved. I didn't want to die.

"Ooh, too bad. I don't care. A murderer deserves to pay, and she never paid for her crime." I turned to look at Jim. He had no idea what the fuck he was talking about.

"She paid her whole life," I said quietly..

"What do you mean?" Emmett asked. I turned to look at him.

"I mean she killed her husband who was going to kill her. I treated her once when I was working in New York. She had a broken wrist, and she wouldn't say it, but I could tell her boyfriend or whatever did it to her." I turned back and glared at Jim.

He shook his head and laughed. "She must have fooled you all well. Rosalie was nothing but a cold, manipulative bitch that deserved to die."

"Don't talk about my wife that way," Emmett snarled, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Jim.

"What, are you going to kill me now?" he asked, amused.

Emmett pulled the trigger. The bullet missed and hit the tree next to Jim. Quick as a flash, Jim whipped out his gun and fired twice. Emmett absorbed both bullets and fell onto the ground.

"Emmett!" I shouted, running to my fallen brother. He was still alive, but his chest was heaving blood. I knew he only had minutes left.

"Well, I think you should join your brother," Jim said. I looked up and saw the gun pointed at me. I knew this was it. I knew I was never going to see Bella again. I was never going to see Olivia and Emily grow up.

I closed my eyes and prepared for the bullet to pierce my skin. I heard the gunfire, but didn't feel anything. I thought he missed until I heard a crash. I opened my eyes and saw Jim on the ground, dead from a bullet to the head. Across from him, Eva was standing, holding the smoking gun.

"Eva?" I asked. Last time I checked, she was trying to kill us.

"Oh no, Emmett!" she said, rushing to my side. I looked down at my brother and saw he was fading.

"Emmett, stay with me!" I said, shaking him. "You have to stay alive—think of Charlotte and Gisele!"

"Edward," he gasped, looking me in the eyes. "You've been the best little brother anybody could ever ask for. I need you to promise me something."

"Emmett, don't talk like that! You're going to be okay! We'll get you back to the beach, and everything will be okay."

"Edward, shut the fuck up. You and I both know that's a fucking lie. I'm going to die, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. He killed me, just like he killed Rosalie."

"Emmett, no. You have to fight harder! Think of your girls—they'll grow up without any parents."

"Edward, shut up and listen to me! I need you to make me a promise."

"Anything," I said, tears falling from my eyes.

"I need you to look after my girls. I need you to raise them. I need you to protect them like they were your own daughters. Promise me you'll keep them safe, Edward."

"I promise," I said, holding Emmett. "I promise."

"When Charlotte is 16 and comes home with her first boyfriend, I need you to be the one to give him the good cop/bad cop routine. I need you to be there for her because I can't."

"Emmett," I sobbed into my brother's shoulder.

"Edward, I know you're sad, but I need you to be strong. When you go back to the beach, I need you to comfort Charlotte and Gisele. I need you to be the one they can go to for anything. Do you understand?"

"I understand," I whispered. "I promise I'll be there for them."

********

BPOV

I stood on the beach with Olivia in my arms and Emily sitting in the sand by my feet. We were the last ones left to take the zodiac to the boat, besides the guards.

Edward still wasn't here, and I was starting to worry. What if something had happened to him? What if Jim Howard had killed him? What if he hadn't gotten to Emmett in time?

"Bella?" Jason asked, looking at me. I was tapping my foot in the sand and looking into the jungle impatiently.

"What?" I snapped.

"The zodiac's here. We're ready to go back to the ship."

"Now?" I asked, looking longingly into the jungle.

"We'll send the zodiac back to wait for them. I promise."

I looked at him. His eyes said he wasn't lying. "Okay. C'mon, girls," I said, grabbing Emily's hand. The three of us walked over to the zodiac and got in. Jason and Dan joined us. We were about to leave when I saw something rustling in the jungle.

"Wait!" I shouted, jumping out of the zodiac. Edward walked onto the beach, his clothes all bloody. "Edward!" I cried, running into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and started kissing him until I realized he was crying. "Baby, what's wrong?"

He put me on the ground and walked back into the jungle. A moment later, he and Eva/Shauna walked back onto the beach, carrying Emmett's body.

"No!" I screamed, falling onto the ground, sobbing. It wasn't possible—nothing could kill Emmett. Emmett was the strongest, bravest, toughest person I knew. There was nothing known to man that could take him down. He couldn't be dead!

"He was shot," Edward said, sitting down next to me and pulling me into his arms.

"Edward, it's not possible," I cried into his shoulder. "Emmett can't be dead!"

"I know. I just don't want it to be true." We were both crying now. He was comforting me while I was comforting him."

"Edward, what about Charlotte and Gisele? They don't have anyone!"

"They have us," he said quietly.

He was right. We were their aunt and uncle, after all. We would look after them like our own daughters. We would protect them. We would keep them safe. We would make sure nothing would ever harm them again.


	13. Going Home

Chapter 12: Going Home

**AN: I love you all. Everyone who reads this is awesome. Everyone who reviews is awesomer. And no, I don't hate any of you. That's not the reason I killed Rose and Emmett. If you haven't realized by now, I'm slightly violent. Ya know, I killed all those people before, so just be happy they made it this far!**

BPOV

Dead. They were dead.

I can't believe it.

Rose, my sister-in-law and best friend: dead.

Emmett, my brother-in-law and the sweetest guy I know (besides Edward, of course,): dead.

What the hell is wrong with me? I bring death or pain to everyone I love. Jacob died, Charlie can't even speak to me, he's so hurt, and now Rosalie and Emmett are dead.

I sat next to Edward on the zodiac, sobbing, while Olivia slept in my lap. Edward put his arm around my shoulder, trying not to wake Olivia or Emily—they didn't need to see me like this.

"Bells, it's over," Edward whispered to me. "Everything's going to be okay now."

"How can you say that?" I sobbed. "Emmett and Rosalie are dead! Charlotte and Gisele are orphaned! Charlie hasn't spoken to me in over seven years! How can everything be okay?"

"Bell, I know everything has been hell for you these past few years, but it's going to get better now. Jim Howard is dead. He's never going to come after us again."

"Oh, Edward," I sobbed, collapsing on his shoulder. He rubbed my back as I broke down in hysterics.

"Daddy, what's wrong with Mommy?" Olivia asked, looking at me. I kept my eyes closed as the tears continued to fall down my cheeks.

"Everything's okay, Liv. Why don't you sit on the bottom of the raft with your sister?" Olivia pushed herself off my lap and sat on the ground with Emily. Edward then put both arms around me as I continued to fall to pieces. "Shh, Bella. It's okay. We're safe now."

For the rest of the journey on the zodiac, I sobbed into Edward's chest. He stopped trying to reassure me with words, so he rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head.

I felt the boat stop moving and looked up from Edward.

We were at the ship. I got a horrible sense of de-ja-vu—last time Eva/Shauna brought us to a ship, we were seized by men who wanted to kill us, thrown into an electrified cell, and almost murdered. I hoped it would be different this time.

"You can climb in here," Jason said, pointing to the small entryway at the bottom of the ship. Edward climbed in first. I handed him Emily, then Olivia. Finally, I climbed in myself.

"Take the stairs to the top," a voice ordered. I looked to my left and saw an armed guard standing by a large staircase. He was staring at us, but had no sign of emotion on his face. "The rest of your group is waiting for you up on the top deck." Edward nodded, and the two of us carried Emily and Olivia up the stairs.

When we reached the top, I looked around until I spotted Alice sitting on top of a table. Everyone else was sitting by her, but their eyes were focused on something else. It wasn't until I got closer that I realized they were all staring at Rosalie's dead body. None of them realized Emmett was dead yet.

I looked over in the corner and saw Charlotte with her face buried in Evan's shoulder. From here, I could tell she was crying. I couldn't blame her—she had seen her mother die in front of her. I would be surprised if she ever lived a normal life after everything that happened to her.

Gisele was lying in Cynthia's arms. She wasn't talking, crying, or doing anything. She was just looking straight in front of her. The poor girl was in shock. I didn't know what was going to happen when the saw Emmett's body just as lifeless as Rosalie's.

"Hi," I whispered, walking up to Leah. She spun around and saw me with Olivia in my arms and Edward right behind me with Emily. When he put Emily on the ground, her eyes widened as she saw the blood on his shirt.

"Is he okay?" she asked.

"He's fine. It's not his blood."

"Not his? Then who…?"

"Emmett. He didn't make it," I choked out before the tears started spilling over my eyelids. I was surprised I even had any left with all the crying I had done today.

"No!" Leah gasped.

I nodded sadly, wiping the tears away. Olivia clung to me.

"He was shot," Edward said simply, putting his arm around my waist. "He's gone."

"What?" Mike asked, having heard what Edward and I had said. "How can Cullen be dead? He's the toughest person I know!"

"Two bullets to the chest will kill you, no matter how tough you are," Edward said softly, rubbing my back. Olivia reached up and wiped the tears off my face.

"Don't cry, Mama." I smiled and kissed her on the head, then put her on the ground so she could sit with Emily.

I heard footsteps and knew Eva/Shauna was back, along with Emmett's body. I reached over and grabbed Edward's hand. I knew he was the only thing that could keep me whole now.

********

APOV

No.

NO!

Not Emmett!

I heard Bella and Edward talking to Leah and Mike, but I didn't want to believe it. There had to be some kind of mistake.

I knew it was true when two of the guards brought Emmett's body up the stairs and laid him on the ground next to Rosalie. They both looked so peaceful with the exception of the large bloodstains on their shirts by their chest and abdomen.

"Daddy!" Charlotte cried. I looked over and saw she had gotten up from the corner and was running over to her parent's bodies. She knelt on the ground next to Emmett and put her head on his chest before she started sobbing uncontrollably. It broke my heart, seeing six-year-old crying over the dead bodies of her parents. I looked over in Cynthia's arms and saw Gisele, not showing any emotion.

I got up, handed David to Jasper, and walked over to Charlotte. I bent down and picked her up.

"No!" she screamed, reaching towards her parents. She started hitting me with her small fists, but I ignored her and sat down next to Jasper. She stopped hitting me and collapsed into my chest, crying. "I want Mommy and Daddy," she choked between sobs. I didn't say anything. Instead, I smoothed her hair and rubbed her back to try to calm her down.

After awhile, she stopped crying and just laid on my chest, sucking her thumb and staring at her parent's bodies.

"Jasper," I whispered to my husband. He turned and looked at me. "Someone needs to move them," I said, jerking my thumb to the peaceful forms of Rosalie and Emmett. "It's not healthy for Charlotte and Gisele to be staring at their parents when they're like that."

He nodded in agreement, getting up. He walked over to one of the guards who was watching us. I saw him say something to the guard, who nodded and walked away quickly. Jasper walked back over and sat with me.

"He's going to get some of the other guards and they're going to move them below." I nodded and kept stroking Charlotte's pretty blonde hair. She looked so much like Rosalie, it hurt. Now, every time I saw Charlotte, I would be reminded of Rose and what happened to her.

I looked over and saw guard Dan and guard Jason walking over to Rosalie and Emmett. Behind them, two other guards, whose names I didn't know, were following them. Two guards when to each body and picked them up.

I looked down at Charlotte and saw her looking at her parents with huge eyes. She leaped off my lap and ran over to the guards carrying her parents away.

"No!" she shrieked. "No! Leave them alone! Let them sleep!" She was pulling on Rosalie's hand, but her mother wouldn't move. "Mommy, wake up!" she sobbed. The guards carrying Rosalie had stopped, unsure of what to do. I got up, ready to go get Charlotte, when I saw Bella walking over to her. She bent down next to Charlotte, whispered something in her ear, then picked her up and carried her back over to us while Charlotte was still screaming for her parents.

"Why won't they wake up?" she sobbed into Bella's shoulder.

"Bella," Edward said, "She needs to be sedated."

I got up and walked over to Eva/Shauna. "Is there a hospital wing on board? Charlotte needs to be sedated."

She nodded and walked over to Bella. Bella handed her the screaming Charlotte and Eva/Shauna brought her downstairs.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Bella asked.

"I'm sure she's going to be fine," I reassured her. "We can trust these people."

"Can we?" Jasper asked. "Don't forget that last time we were on a ship they tried to kill us and it ended with us blowing up the boat as we escaped on a raft."

"I know, but we're sitting on the deck of this boat by ourselves. We're not being imprisoned, and these people killed the men who were trying to kill us. I'm pretty sure we're safe."

"I hope you're right," Cynthia said, smoothing Gisele's hair.

Eva/Shauna reappeared at that moment, and Bella jumped on her instantly.

"Is Charlotte okay?"

"She's fine. She's sleeping in the hospital wing. This ordeal is going to affect her for a while, so don't be surprised if she's like this at home. That one," she said, pointing to Gisele, "Needs to go to the hospital. I think she's suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but I can't be sure since I'm not a doctor."

"Why are you helping us?" Leah asked, looking at Eva/Shauna. She had Maribel in her lap while her three sons were torturing Olivia and Emily.

"I feel like this is partially my fault. If I had done something to stop him before, maybe I could have prevented this from happening."

"Damn straight," Mike muttered. I turned to glare at him.

"I realize you've been through a lot, Eva—Shauna. I don't blame you. I'm sure if you could have stopped him, you would have. He seems like a powerful man who would stop at nothing to get his way."

She nodded. "I'm so sorry for everything you guys have been through. We should be back in the States by the end of the week. Do you guys have a story planned for what happened and why all of you went missing again?"

We all turned to look at Edward.

"The truth," he said quietly.

"The truth?" Cynthia asked. "How is that going to flow with our old story?"

"It's not. That's why we're going to tell the whole truth. Everything that happened before and everything that happened this time. It would be an insult to Emmett and Rosalie's memories if we lied about their deaths."

"Edward, are you sure about this?" Bella asked.

"Yes. Think about it Bella—we've been gone for a while. People noticed our kids were missing. We're returning with two dead bodies. People are going to want an explanation. We might as well give them the truth."

We all looked at Edward, stunned. Last time, it had been his idea we lie about what happened, and now he wanted us to tell the truth. Something wasn't clicking.

"Edward, why do you want to be honest now when eight years ago you wanted us to lie?"

"I'm sick of lying. In case you haven't noticed, Alice, lying didn't work out too well for us."

"When you say tell the truth, do you mean the _whole _truth, with the murders, hit and runs, and other various crimes?"

"If it comes up, yes."

"Edward, are you sure?" Bella asked. "Do you really want to reveal to the entire nation that Rosalie killed her ex-husband after she died?"

"Bells, people are going to want to know why this guy came after us. That's the only way we can explain why he did."

She sighed. "I guess you're right."

We all sat around the table, unsure of what to say.

********

BPOV

A week.

We had been on this boat for a week.

Every day, I would sit up on the top deck with Olivia and Emily. They would play with Leah's sons while Edward and I watched them. Charlotte and Gisele were both permanently in the hospital wing until we got home. Charlotte wasn't calm enough to leave and Gisele still wasn't talking.

I was starting to get worried—what if this had permanently damaged them? I would never forgive myself if something happened to Charlotte and Gisele with Emmett and Rose no longer here.

I looked out at the ocean, thinking about finally being able to go home.

"What's up, baby?" Edward, asked, sitting down next to me. He had a beer in his left hand and placed his right one on my knee.

"Just thinking."

"About?"

"Everything. I'm just happy we're going to be home soon."

"Me too."

"How are we going to tell Charlotte and Gisele they're going to be living with us now?" I asked.

"I don't know, honey. We'll figure that out when the time comes. First, we need to prepare them for Emmett and Rosalie's funeral."

"Do you think we should even take them?" I asked. Edward looked at me, stunned. "I mean, Charlotte can't keep calm for more than five minutes and Gisele isn't responding to anything. Edward, they're feeding her through a tube right now!"

"Bella, they have to come. We have to give them a chance to say goodbye."

I sighed. "You're right. When are we going to have it?"

"As soon as we get home. I'm thinking tomorrow or the day after."

"How's Esme going to react when she finds out?"

"She's going to be devastated," Edward sighed. "I'm devastated. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that my big brother is gone. He's never going to tease me again. He's never going to laugh again. He's never going to see Charlotte and Gisele grow up into beautiful women. He's—" Edward stopped as the tears started rolling down his face.

"Shh, Edward, it's okay," I said, placing my hands on my husband's cheeks. This past week had been extremely hard for him. He had to come to terms with the fact that Emmett and Rose were gone and that we had inherited two more kids.

"I just—I can't believe he's really gone. I always thought he'd live to be 100."

"I know. Well, at least they're together now. You know Emmett and Rose would never want to live without each other."

He smiled when I said that. "You're right. And they're girls will grow up knowing how wonderful their parents where and how they would have done anything to protect them, including giving up their own lives."

I nodded. "They were the best parents anyone could ever ask for."

Just then, Alice and Jasper, accompanied by Eva/Shauna, came up on the deck. "We're going to be back in an hour!" Alice squealed.

"Really?" I asked.

Eva/Shauna nodded. "We'll be in the Los Angeles harbor then. I had Jason radio someone to notify all your families. They'll be waiting there for us when we get there."

"You mean Carlisle and Esme are going to be there when we carry Emmett's body off?" Edward asked.

Eva/Shauna looked at him. "Well, the bodies are below in temporary coffins. I don't know what you want to do with them."

"Can you bring them to the funeral parlor by us? We want to have a funeral within the next few days."

Eva/Shauna nodded. "I'll go let the guards know." She turned and walked back down the stairs to the bottom of the ship. Alice and Jasper sat by Edward and I while the four of us watched the kids play. Alice put David on the ground to let him play with everyone else.

"I can't believe it's over," she sighed.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," I told her.

She laughed. "No, it's just, now we'll have to live normal lives. I've never had one of those."

"Well, it will be a new adventure for us."

She nodded in agreement. "You do realize the tabloids are all going to start up again. No more of that lovely privacy you and Edward have been enjoying for the past few years."

I sighed. "I know. Well, we'll get through it. As long as we're together, it doesn't matter." Edward smiled and kissed me on the lips lightly.

"Eww!" I heard someone shriek. I looked over and saw Olivia standing in front of us. "That's gross, Daddy." He smiled and patted her on the head. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek before she ran away to play with Bryant, Evan, Ryan, Emily, and David.

"Look!" Alice said, pointing out to sea. I looked and saw we were approaching the harbor. We were home!

"I'll go and get everyone up!" Jasper said, dashing down the stairs to wake Leah, Mike, Seth, and Cynthia.

"I can't believe we're really here," I said, leaning against Edward.

He smiled at me. "I know. I'm just so happy to be back. We can see my parents—they must have been so worried."

My face fell. I knew I wouldn't see my family, with Renee being dead and Charlie not speaking to me.

Edward must have known what I was thinking about. "Cheer up, Bells. It will all work out, I promise." I smiled as I stood on my toes to kiss him again. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close.

"Are we really home?" I heard Cynthia ask. I looked over at the stairs and saw Jasper bringing everyone else up. Cynthia was smoothing her hair as Seth fixed his shirt. I smiled as I remembered what Edward and I were like when we were first married.

We all stood by the railing as the boat pulled into port. I looked down and saw a group of people staring up at us. I picked up Olivia and walked down the gangplank towards the welcoming committee.

Esme and Carlisle were there, waiting for me. Esme pulled me into her arms and started kissing my cheeks. Carlisle reached over and took Olivia from me. She wrapped her arms around her grandfather's neck and gave him a big kiss.

"Edward!" Esme shrieked, letting go of me as Edward walked down with Emily in his arms. She was kissing Edward on the cheek while Emily hugged her. I was walking over to Carlisle and Olivia when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I spun around and smelt the familiar aftershave, saw the familiar mustache, and heard the familiar voice.

"Hey, Bells."

It was Charlie.


	14. Saying Goodbye

Chapter 13: Saying Goodbye

**AN: Thank you to my reviewers/readers. I love you with all my heart. I seriously do.**

APOV

I walked down the gangplank with David in my arms while Jasper was right behind me, holding Gisele. She still hadn't said anything and we were all very worried. What happened to make her stop talking? We hadn't been there with the kids on the island, so we didn't know what they had been subjected to. Maybe something happened to make her completely zone out from life.

"ALICE!" I heard my mother shriek. In front of us, she was standing next to my father, running towards me. She wrapped her arms around me and David, tears streaming down her face. "Oh, baby, we thought we lost you again!" She let go of me and took David from my arms. "Oh, David! Oh, your grandma missed you so much!" She lifted him in the air before she planted kisses on his face.

I looked over and saw Jasper with my dad. Both Jasper and Dad were looking down at Gisele. I saw Dr. Carlisle Cullen walking over to them. He was a doctor, after all, and she was his granddaughter.

"CYNTHIA!" my mother shrieked as Cynthia and Seth walked down the gangplank. Seth had Charlotte in his arms, who was sleeping after being sedated again below.

"Here," I said, walking up to him and holding out my arms. He put Charlotte in them as he and Cynthia greeted my hysterical mother, who was still holding David.

I looked up as Leah and Mike walked off the ship with their children to go greet Mike's family. His parents were there, along with his sister and her husband. I saw Evan look over at me holding Charlotte and he looked worried. I looked down and saw she was still sleeping.

I saw Edward and Emily over with his mother, but I didn't see Bella. I started scanning the crowd for her when I spotted someone else. I saw an older couple, both with dark hair, accompanied by a girl and boy, both about my age, with light hair I had only seen on one other person.

Rosalie. I knew who they were instantly.

Her family.

What were they doing here?

"Mr. and Mrs. Hale?" I asked, walking up to them with Charlotte in my arms.

"Who are you?" Mrs. Hale asked, looking at me with disgust.

"I'm Alice Whitlock. What are you doing here?"

"How are we supposed to know? Jefferson received a phone call yesterday from the army that we were needed in the Los Angeles Harbor today, so we came. I hope it's not about our nasty daughter. I haven't seen her in over 10 years, and I don't want to start now."

Charlotte stirred in my arms, but stayed sleeping. After meeting her mother, I could understand why Rosalie avoided them.

"Why haven't you seen Rose in all that time? I mean, she _is_ your daughter."

"Rosalie married Royce King III, which was the happiest day of our lives. Emmeline and Franklin loved Royce, as did my husband and I. He was such a good and wonderful soul. Then, Rosalie just got up and left. It killed poor Royce—gave him a heart attack. I can't understand what would make a woman leave a man as terrific as Royce. We haven't seen her or spoken to her since she left, right, Jefferson?"

"That's right, Adele."

"Well, after she left, we heard from a close friend that our daughter, who we raised to be a _lady_, was being paid to pose in magazines—_naked_! It broke my heart when I heard it. Of course, then she married that superstar Emmett Cullen—probably because she was knocked up by him. I will never understand what happened to the sweet little girl I raised."

"That's a cute little girl," Emmeline said, pointing to Charlotte. "Is she your daughter?"

"Uh, no. She's my goddaughter."

"Well, she's absolutely gorgeous. Her hair is stunning—I wish mine was curly like that."

I laughed uncomfortably, trying not to reveal the fact that I was holding her niece. I knew Bella and Edward were going to take care of Charlotte and Gisele, so I didn't want the family Rosalie hated coming and trying to take her daughters away from us.

I looked over and saw Eva/Shauna walking up to me. "Is she still sleeping?" she muttered to me. I nodded. "Good. We wanted to bring the bodies out, but she can't be awake for that."

I cradled Charlotte to my chest while Eva/Shauna looked at the people I was standing with.

"You must be Rosalie's family," she said sadly.

"So?" her mother snapped.

"I'm very sorry for your loss."

"Loss?" Rose's sister asked. "What loss?"

"The loss of your sister," she said, looking at them confused. "Didn't Captain Michaels tell you why you were needed in LA?"

"No. And we lost my daughter 11 years ago when she left Royce King III and became a whore."

Eva/Shauna looked uncomfortable. "I don't know if I'm the one who should be telling you this, but your daughter is dead."

"Dead?"

Eva/Shauna nodded. "She was killed about a week ago. Dan!" she called. "Over here!"

Dan and Jason carried a simple coffin over to us and put it on the ground. They opened the lid to show the Hale's Rosalie was dead.

"No!" Emmeline cried. "I never got to apologize to her!" She laid her head on her brother's shoulder and started sobbing. Mrs. Hale looked at her daughter's body, too stunned to speak.

"Mommy!"

Charlotte was awake.

"Mommy!" she screamed, trying to crawl out of my arms and over to Rosalie. "Mommy! Wake up!"

"Mommy?" Mrs. Hale asked, looking from Rosalie's body to Charlotte. "You mean, this is Rosalie's daughter?"

I nodded.

She held out her arms. "Hand her over now!"

********

BPOV

"Charlie?" I asked, looking at my dad.

"Bells, it's so good to see you!" he said, smiling.

"Hold up a sec," I said, looking at him skeptically. "You don't speak to me for 8 years, and now you expect everything to be peachy keen? I don't _think_ so!"

"Bells, I—"

"_Don't_ call me Bells! You gave up that right when you called me a whore and stopped talking to me."

"Bella, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for cutting off contact with you and missing your wedding and never meeting my granddaughters." He smiled at Olivia in my arms, I hugged her close to my body. "What I'm saying is, when you went missing again, I realized how stupid I've been. I almost lost you. What if you had died and I'd never reconciled with you? I'd have never been able to live with myself."

I looked at him, not sure if I should believe him. Just then, Edward came over with Emily.

"What's _he_ doing here?" Edward snarled with malice in his voice. I didn't blame him—he'd seen the amount of tears I'd shed over Charlie.

"I came to apologize to Bella. And to you, Edward," he added. "I've been a terrible person, and I want to make up for that. I don't want my granddaughters growing up, never knowing me. I want to be there for them. That is, if you'll let me."

I looked from Edward to Charlie, then back again. I looked down at Olivia and Emily. "Olivia, Emily, this is your Grandpa Charlie," I said, pointing to my father.

Charlie smiled his big smile that I always loved and gave me a hug. I hadn't totally forgiven him, but I would. Eventually.

"Hello beautiful girls," Charlie said, greeting my daughters. Edward and I put Olivia and Emily on the ground while Charlie sat down with them, talking with them.

Edward put his arm around my waist. "Are you sure about this?" he asked.

I smiled at him before reaching up to kiss him lightly on the lips. "Positive. After all, everyone deserves a second chance. You of all people should know that." He glared at me. "Don't look at me that way. You're the love of my life, don't forget that, okay? I'm glad I gave you another chance. I think Charlie deserves that, too. He is my father, after all."

He sighed as we looked down at Charlie. Olivia and Emily were both in his lap and it seemed like he was telling them a story. Edward leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. I laced my fingers with his and leaned against his shoulder, inhaling his scent like I always did. Cleanly showered and shaved Edward was my favorite scent in the world. He bent his head down and gave me a deep kiss.

"Bella! Edward!" I looked over my shoulder, ready to kill whoever interrupted us, when I saw Alice. She looked terrified.

"Alice, what's the matter?" I asked.

"It's Charlotte!"

"What about Charlotte?" She was, after all, my responsibility now.

"They're taking her away!"

"What? Who?"

"The Hale's!"

"Rosalie's family?" I asked. Last time I checked, Rosalie wasn't speaking to her family. They had been estranged ever since she had come to California.

"Yes! Mrs. Hale took Charlotte from me. They want to take her and Gisele back to Rochester with them!"

"Over my dead body!" I hissed, marching over towards Mrs. Hale, who was trying to put the struggling six-year-old in her car.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked, glaring at Rosalie's bitch of a mother. She looked up at me, curious as to who would dare to speak to her like that. "Take your filthy hands off of my niece!"

"This is my granddaughter, so back off!" She stood up and poked me with her index finger.

"Excuse you!" I said, shocked. "Rosalie and Emmett wanted their daughters to be raised by me and my husband should anything happen to them. Hand her over now before I call the police and have you charged with attempted kidnapping."

Mrs. Hale glared at me. She looked from me to Edward to Alice, and finally back to me. "Here," she said, shoving Charlotte, who was still screaming, into my arms. Then, she climbed in the car and drove away with her family, still giving me a dirty look.

"What's with her?" I asked. I had never met someone so unpleasant in my entire life.

"I guess she wants Rose's kids."

"She'll never get them," I growled, holding onto Charlotte who was still screaming.

"I don't know, Bella," Alice said. "She seemed pretty serious about getting her. I'd look out if I were you."

"Thanks, Alice," I said, trying to quiet Charlotte, "But I think that's the last we'll hear from that bitch."

********

The next few days were hectic. I was watching three young girls while trying to plan a funeral that hundreds of people planned on attending and was being televised.

The phone was ringing off the hook with different papers and magazines trying to set up an interview with me.

I was also trying to set up a press conference for next week so we could talk about what really happened on the island.

I didn't even have Edward to help—he was spending all his time at the hospital, never leaving Gisele's side. Charlie kept calling with questions since he decided to move to Los Angeles to be close to his granddaughters.

Thursday morning, I woke up, showered, did my hair and makeup, and got dressed for Rosalie and Emmett's funeral. I made sure to put on waterproof mascara and eyeliner since I knew I wasn't going to make it through the ceremony without crying.

I went into my closet and pulled out a knee length black dress and a matching black sweater. I put on a pearl necklace with match earrings that Edward had given me last Christmas. I carried my black heels downstairs with me and sat at the kitchen table.

Edward was already sitting there in a black suit, reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Morning, darling," he greeted me.

"Hi, baby," I said, kissing him lightly on the lips. "What are we doing about Gisele?" I asked. Doctor Snow had diagnosed her with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They had sent in a counselor to talk with her, but were also giving her medication to try to get her to start talking.

"I'm going to go pick her up now to bring her. She's doing better—she started talking to the counselor last time."

"What was she talking about?"

"Rosalie, Emmett, and Charlotte. She mentioned us, but very briefly."

"This is going to be very hard for both her and Charlotte."

"I know," he said. "Bella, if Charlotte starts going into hysterics in the middle of the funeral, you're going to have to take her out of the church." I nodded and understood. We didn't need the entire country to see Charlotte break down in front of her parent's bodies.

"Well, I'm going to go pick up Gisele while you get everyone ready."

"Gee, thanks," I said sarcastically. "I get to spend all morning trying to get three little girls to put on fancy dresses and brush their hair when all they really want to do is watch a Disney movie."

He smiled and kissed me on the forehead before grabbing the keys to his Volvo and heading outside. I sighed as I heard his car pull away and headed upstairs.

I walked into Olivia and Emily's pink room. Both girls were sleeping soundly in their princess beds. I walked over to Olivia first and gently shook her awake.

"Mommy?" she asked sleepily.

"Wake up, sleepy head," I whispered. "It's time to get dressed."

"But I don't want to," she whined.

"I know," I sighed. "How about I make you a deal. If you get up and get dresses, I'll let you put on a movie downstairs while Charlotte and Emily get ready."

"Can I watch _The Wizard of Oz_?" she asked, looking at me with her brown eyes.

"You can."

"Yay!" she squealed. I went over to her closet and pulled out her black dress, white tights, and black shoes. I carried them into my room with her following me.

Once she was dressed, I combed through her hair, making sure to keep her curls intact. I pulled the top layer back and tied it up with a black ribbon.

"You look beautiful," I said, kissing her cheek.

"Mommy, can I wear some lipstick too?" she asked. I laughed and got mu lightest pick lipstick from the bathroom. I put a very thin layer on her lips before bringing her downstairs and putting _The Wizard of Oz_ DVD in for her to watch. Once she was settled with her movie and her bowl of Lucky Charms, I went back upstairs to get Charlotte and Emily ready.

The rest of the morning went smoothly. Both Charlotte and Emily got dressed quickly. Once they were done, they both sat with Olivia, watching _The Wizard of Oz_. I got them each a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice. By the time Dorothy was back in Kansas, Edward was home from the hospital with Gisele.

"Everyone ready?" he asked. I nodded and brought the three girls out to the Volvo while Edward carried Gisele. I buckled Charlotte, Olivia, and Emily in the back and put Gisele on my lap as we drove to St. Anthony's church. Edward and I had decided the ceremony should be at St. Anthony's since that was where Emmett and Rosalie were married.

Along the way, I saw police setting up roadblocks for when we transported the bodies to the Calvary Cemetery, where Rosalie and Emmett were going to be buried.

Edward pulled into a space in the church parking lot reserved for us. It was good it was reserved because the entire lot was filled with cars. Many people were coming to pay their respects to both Emmett and Rosalie, including the entire New York Giants, many football players, everyone from the Playboy mansion, actors, actresses, and other celebrities. Rosalie and Emmett were both well loved.

I spotted Carlisle and Esme's car next to ours, so I knew they were already here. The funeral didn't start until 11, so we still had plenty of time to get into the church. We walked in and I looked around. I loved St. Anthony's church—it was so beautiful. People were milling around the back, talking and greeting each other. Carlisle and Esme were seated in the front row, waiting for us. I sat Charlotte next to Esme, then sat next to her with Olivia on my lap. Emily sat on my other side with Edward and Gisele on the end.

At the other end of the pew, I saw Rosalie's _true_ family, Bridgette, Kendra, Hef (with his newest group of blondes), and the other members of the mansion staff. Her biological family was sitting towards the back (I had seen them when I walked in).

At 11, the ceremony started. We all stood to sing the processional hymn as the priest came in and took a seat in his chair behind the two caskets. Both of them were adorned with beautiful roses. On top of Rosalie's, there was a picture of her, and the same with Emmett's. In the back of the church, we had made posters with pictures of the two of them. Mostly, they were of Rosalie and Emmett together with their children instead of them alone.

The priest, Father Neil, greeted everyone, then asked Edward to some up to give the eulogy. Edward handed Carlisle Gisele, then walked up to the front. He put his hand on Emmett's casket before walking up to the microphone. He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at everyone in the audience.

********

EPOV

"Good morning," I greeted the church. Everyone looked at me with somber eyes. I could feel everyone here pitying me. Here I was, a 31-year-old man who had just lost his brother. I could feel my hands shaking as I picked up my notes to look at them.

"I'm Edward Cullen, and Emmett Cullen was my big brother. He was the best brother anyone could ask for. He always knew how to make me laugh when I was sad, make me see the good in everything, and gave me courage when I was afraid. I remember him telling me the night before my wedding to my wife, 'Live each day as if it's your last and each morning as if it's your first.' Emmett was always there to give me advice, even if I thought I didn't need it.

"Esme and Carlisle always knew Emmett was destined for great things. For his 5th birthday, he got a football. I got piano lessons." Everyone laughed at that. "We always knew Emmett was going to be famous. He was funny, handsome, popular, and liked by everyone, even the Philadelphia Eagles." All the football players in the room roared with laughter.

" I always knew Emmett was a great player, but I never thought he was going to find someone to settle down with and start a family. I married young while Emmett stayed single and partied. Then, we were on a plane crash that changed our lives forever. Here, Emmett met his other half, his soul mate, the love of his life, Rosalie Hale. I remember getting on the plane. When Emmett realized he was sitting next to her, he was on cloud 9. Then we crashed, and I thought Emmett would be furious. After all, he was missing football season. Instead, he spent his time getting to know Rosalie. Making her laugh, making her cry, and getting her to fall in love with him."

I wiped a tear from my eye and continued. "Once we were rescued, I knew Emmett was going to marry her. They may have only known each other for a few months, but their love was as strong as two people who had known each other for years. They got married less than a year after we returned.

"Emmett and Rosalie cared for everyone around them. I'm sure you all remember their wedding—the one where Leah went into labor in the middle of the ceremony. I remember Emmett and Rosalie would have rather stayed at the hospital with Leah than gone to their reception. They put others needs in front of their own."

I pulled the tissue out of my pocket and wiped away my tears before continuing.

"Rosalie was an amazing woman. When I met her, I had never met someone so sure of herself in my entire life. She told me how she hadn't spoken to her family in years. I admired her. I could never go that long without seeing or speaking to Carlisle, Esme, or Emmett, but she was okay with it. She said she had found a new family out here in California. Bridgette, Kendra, Hef, and all the staff at the mansion was her real family.

"From the time they got married, I knew Emmett and Rosalie would be the world's best parents. Charlotte and Gisele had the best people watching over them. I remember Emmett groaning when he found out Rosalie was pregnant with a _girl_. There went his dreams of raising a future football star. Even though Charlotte wasn't the football star he dreamed of raising, she became Daddy's Little Angel. She was the spitting image of her mother, in both looks and personality. Charlotte is the bravest and most independent six-year-old I have ever met. I have no doubt in saying that, even without the guidance of her wonderful parents, she will grow up to be a wonderful person." I took a drink from my bottle of water before continuing.

"Emmett and Rosalie may be physically gone, but their spirits will never leave us. As long as we remember them in our hearts, they can never truly leave us. To quote Harry Potter, 'He will only be gone when none here are loyal to him.' That same statement can be applied to Emmett and Rosalie Cullen. They will only truly leave us when we no longer remember them. So remember Emmett. Remember Rosalie. Remember two of the most wonderful people who ever lived on this earth. Thank you."

I walked back to my seat. I wiped my eyes while Bella rubbed my shoulder. The priest continued the rest of the mass with the readings being read by our friends and family. Cynthia led the choir in a lovely rendition of "Ave Maria," when the caskets were carried out of the church.

Bella and I led our crew into the car and drove to the cemetery. All the roads were blocked off to allow the large party to get there in as short of time as possible. When we arrived at the cemetery, the priest was already there with the caskets by the graves.

Bella was sobbing quietly when we got there. The caskets were lowered into the tombs. I felt the tears falling down my face but didn't bother stopping them.

My brother was gone. He was never coming back. He was never going to joke around with me again or throw a bucket of cold water on me to wake me up. He was never going to make gagging noises like a three-year-old when I kissed Bella in front of him.

"Baby, it's okay," Bella whispered to me. "Let it all out." I leaned on her shoulder as the sobs heaved out of my chest. I felt foolish, but I couldn't control myself. Emmett and Rosalie were gone. I would never get to tell them how much I loved them, how important to me they were.

Once Emmett and Rosalie were buried, Bella and I walked back to the car with our kids. Gisele was in Bella's arms while I carried Charlotte, who was screaming for her parents. When we got to the car, we saw a man in a grey suit standing next to it with a large envelope.

"Can I help you?" I asked.

"Are you Edward and Isabella Cullen?" he asked.

"We are," Bella answered.

He handed her the envelope. "You've been served." He walked away from us while we looked after him, confused.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I don't know," she said, shifting Gisele in her arms so she could open the envelope. She pulled out a packet of paper and read it, her eyes getting wider and wider with each word. "That bitch," she muttered.

"What is it?" I asked again.

"The Hales," she said through clenched teeth, "Are suing us."

"For what?" I asked, though I already knew.

"For custody of Charlotte and Gisele."


	15. Press Conference Junkies

Chapter 14: Press Conference Junkies

**AN: Thanks to all my reviewers and readers. **

BPOV

That bitch.

That _fucking_ bitch!

Who the fuck did she think she was? How dare she try to take Charlotte and Gisele away from me.

I saw the Hale's walking towards their car. I wanted to fuck them up. I started charging at them, claws out, when I felt something restraining me around my waist.

I looked down and saw Edward was holding onto me, making sure I didn't commit murder. "Easy, Bells," he said quietly.

"Let me at them," I snarled, trying to pull free from him. "I'll show them how we settle arguments in Forks!" I was in full white-trash mode, ready to fuck a bitch up with my bare hands.

"Bella, mangling the face of your niece's grandmother is not going to look good to a judge. Can you try to keep your trailer park impulses to yourself?"

I glared at him, but calmed down. He still didn't let me go, because we both knew what would happen if he did. Mrs. Hale would end up in the emergency room and I would earn a one-way trip to the police station in the back of a squad car. What a great role model I would be for my children.

"Bella, let's go home. We can discuss it there," Edward murmured in my ear. I nodded, then buckled the girls in the back seat before climbing in the front with Gisele on my lap.

We brought her back to the hospital, then drove back to our house. Three cars were already parked in our driveway—everyone else was here.

Edward and I walked in the house with Charlotte, Emily, and Olivia. Alice was in the kitchen, putting plates of food on the table and counters. Jasper was already mixing drinks and putting beer and wine out. Mike and Leah were going through my CD's, looking for some good music to put on. Seth and Cynthia were sitting on the floor, playing with the kids.

"Charlotte!" Evan called out, running over to her. He gave her a big hug, then took her hand.

"Do you want to see my new room?" Charlotte asked, pulling Evan towards the stairs. I heard the two of them laughing as they disappeared.

I sat down at the kitchen table, looking over the subpoena. I didn't know what Edward and I were going to do—what if we lost the case?

"Bella, you have to move," Alice said, putting a fruit platter in front of me. "People are going to be here any minute."

"Who the fuck cares?" I snapped at her. She looked taken aback.

"Ignore her, Alice," Edward said, shooting me a look that said keep your trap shut.

I sighed and went upstairs. When I got to my room, I slammed the door shut and threw my purse against the wall, screaming. Edward opened the door a minute later and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Bella, shut up!" he shouted. I stopped at once—he had never spoken to me like that before. "You have to calm down. We can't do anything about this today. I'll call our lawyer tomorrow, but you have to forget about it right now. We're going to have many people here soon, and I need you to be calm. Can you do that?"

I took a deep breath and nodded my head. He kissed me lightly on the lips, wiped my tears off my face, and then let me go. We walked back downstairs together. Everyone acted as if I wasn't completely losing my marbles. I saw Alice shoot me a worried glace, but I just smiled at her. We'd tell everyone what was going on once the luncheon ended and everyone left.

I heard the front door open and went to see who had arrived. Carlisle and Esme walked in, Esme still sobbing. She threw her arms around me, and I returned the hug.

"Oh, Bella, I can't believe they're gone!" she wailed. Carlisle stood behind us, keeping silent. I don't think the reality of what had happened have fully sunk in with him.

I led Esme into the living area and had her sit on the couch before I brought her a glass of wine. Carlisle just drank water.

After Edward's parents arrived, everyone else showed up. For the next few hours, I was greeted by people who offered us their condolences. Everyone kept telling Edward and I how wonderful it was for us to take in Charlotte and Gisele.

"Those poor kids," an ex-teammate of Emmett's told me. "They're the sweetest little girls I ever met. How are they doing?"

"Charlotte's doing better, and Gisele is starting to talk. She's still in the hospital, though." He nodded sadly.

Jasper stayed at the bar the entire time, pouring everyone drinks, while Alice patrolled the house, carrying trays of food. Cynthia and Seth watched the kids, making sure they behaved. Once the luncheon ended and everyone left, we all sat down in the family room on the couch, exhausted. Esme and Carlisle were in the kitchen, cleaning up.

"So, what's going on?" Alice asked me.

"This," I said, handing her the subpoena from the Hale's lawyer. Alice read it, her eyes getting wider with each line she took in.

"How can they do this? Rosalie _hated_ them!"

"I know," I said. "I don't know what we're going to do about this."

"Can't you just tell the judge it was Emmett's dying wish that you and Edward raise Charlotte and Gisele?"

Edward shook his head. "Unless it's in writing, they'll think we just made it up."

"What about their wills?" Jasper asked.

"They're reading it tomorrow morning, so we'll find out if it was in there."

"When's the press conference?" Leah asked.

"Tomorrow afternoon," Edward said softly. We were all nervous about the press conference, mainly because we were going to be telling the truth about what really happened on the island. We didn't know how people were going to react to that. It was going to be an interesting day.

After all the kids were tired from running around the house, everyone else decided to leave besides Charlie, who was staying with us for the week.

"Bella, don't worry about it," Alice said, referring to the Hale's. "Everything will work out in the end, I promise."

"I hope you're right, Alice," I said, giving her a big hug.

Once everyone had left, Edward and I put the three girls to bed, then went to our room to wind down for the evening.

"Do you think Alice is right?" I asked him as I took out my earrings.

"Bella, don't worry about it. I'll call Bill in the morning and we'll get this whole thing figured out. I promise." I turned around and saw my husband standing right in front of me without a shirt. It made me happy to know that even after being together for eight years, Edward still had the power to make my heart stop beating. I laughed as he pulled me into his arms and carried me over to our bed.

********

APOV

"Good morning," I called, opening the door to the room where Seth and Cynthia were sleeping. I felt a pillow hit my face as I laughed and headed into David's room to get him up. I lifted him out of his crib, brought him downstairs, and put him in his highchair to feed him breakfast.

Once David was fed, I brought him back upstairs to change him for today. Once he was finally ready, I brought him downstairs, where Seth was sitting in the living room, watching television.

"Seth, can you watch David while I get ready?" I asked. He nodded, and I put my son on his lap before running upstairs to hop in the shower.

Once I was showered, I walked back into my room to apply my makeup and do my hair. Jasper was almost dressed, with the exception of his tie.

"Come here, baby," I said, walking over to him. I reached my hands around his neck and tied his tie for him before giving him a small peck on the lips.

"Thank you, darling," he drawled. As I walked away, he slapped my ass lightly. Just to tease him, I dropped the towel on the floor before heading into the bathroom. Once there, I pulled on my bra and panties before pulling on a white blouse and a black high-waited skirt. I slipped into my black stilettos before coming out.

I checked myself in the mirror, reapplied my lipstick, then grabbed my purse and headed downstairs.

Everyone else was already downstairs, waiting for me. Cynthia had on a tight blue dress that showed off her curves very nicely. She took Seth's hand, and the two of them walked outside. Jasper picked up David, and the three of us headed to our car.

We drove to the Los Angeles courthouse, where we were going to hear Emmett and Rosalie's will. Once we got there, we headed to the fourth floor and headed into the conference room. Bella, Edward, and everyone else was already here. I saw Rosalie's family sitting in the room in the corner. What were they doing here?

"Not that everyone is here, we can get started," the lawyer standing in the front of the room said. He picked up a document off the table and cleared his throat. "Here, I have the wills of Emmett N. Cullen and Rosalie C. Cullen."

"Hale," Mrs. Hale corrected.

"Excuse me?" the lawyer asked, looking up.

"Her last name is Hale, not Cullen," she snapped.

"I'm sorry, but it says Rosalie Carina Cullen on the will." Mrs. Hale glared at him as he continued. I took Jasper's hand and he gave mine a small squeeze.

"Right. We'll start with Emmett Nathaniel Cullen…"

Unfortunately, Emmett's will was written before the crash. He made Edward the executor, and left everything to Edward and his parents. Charlotte and Gisele. Rosalie had written hers right after she was married. Again, there was no mention of her daughters. She made Emmett executor and me the alternate. She had left everything to Emmett, but in case they died together, she left me in charge of what to do with her estate.

Emmett and Rosalie's lawyer looked at me. "Mrs. Whitlock?"

I cleared my throat and stood up. There was only one option of what to do. "Rosalie Carina Cullen's estate will be divided into two equal parts. Two trusts will be set up, under the names of Charlotte Addison Cullen and Gisele Marie Cullen, to be accessed when the girls turn 18. Any property such as pictures will go to the legal guardians of Charlotte and Gisele." I sat back down next to Jasper.

"What about that?" Bella asked.

"I'm sorry, what?" the lawyer asked.

"What's going to happen to Gigi and Lola?"

"Who?"

"Emmett and Rosalie's kids," Edward sighed.

"Umm, I don't know. You'll have to work that out with a judge." He smiled sadly at us before leaving the room.

"See you in court," Mrs. Hale sneered at Bella and Edward. Bella looked like she was going to rip out Rosalie's mother's throat. Good thing Edward was holding on to her.

"Bella, calm down. We'll get this all figured out, don't worry."

"I don't mean to interrupt, but there's a bunch of reporters outside waiting for you all," the lawyer said, sticking his head in the room.

"The press conference," Edward said, standing up and taking Bella's hand. "Let's go."

Jasper and I followed Edward and Bella. Once we got outside, we saw just how many reporters were there for this press conference. It was like every reporter in the United States decided to come. This was going to be interesting.

Once everyone made it outside, we all stood in a group with Edward in the front. After all, he had always been our unofficial leader.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the press," he greeted them. "My friends and I are here to answer your questions. We understand you are all very curious about what happened to us and to my brother and his wife."

All at once, every reporter started calling names. I shrunk closer to Jasper's side, feeling slightly overwhelmed.

"Yes?" Edward said, pointing to a reporter in the front.

"What happened on the island?"

We all looked at Edward, telling him he should answer the question. He cleared his throat. "Well, our children were kidnapped and taken to the island we crashed on before. We had to go there to get them back."

"Who took them?"

"A man by the name of James Howard."

"What happened to him?"

"He's dead."

"Why did he want to kidnap your children?"

Edward looked back at us. Here was the moment of truth—were we going to go with the truth or a lie?

I stepped forward to answer the question. "We didn't give the whole truth about the first crash, and he wanted revenge for that."

It sounded like there were thousands of bees in the audience with all the muttering. "What do you mean, you didn't tell the truth?"

"We lied, okay?" Bella snapped. She was pissed off at the world with the whole custody situation. I didn't blame her. "We were on some uncharted island in the middle of the ocean where a group of native people lived. They tried to kill us. In fact, they ended up killing the rest of the survivors from the plane, save us."

"I thought you said…"

"I know what we said. There were about 40 of us who survived. Everyone else was massacred one night. There was one man, Aro, who was controlling everything."

"What happened to him?"

"We thought we killed him on the island, but he ended up escaping, made it back here, kidnapped me from my house, and tried to kill me. I would have died if Edward hadn't found me." She gave Edward's hand a squeeze.

"How did you end up escaping from the island?"

Jasper cleared his throat. "The first time, a group from a freighter came to save us. We made it back to the boat when it became clear they planned on killing us. This last time, we were saved by someone who already knew we were there. She was intent on stopping Jim Howard from killing us all."

"Why did this man want to go after all of you?"

I sighed. "Most of us had somehow wronged him in his life."

"How?"

I looked to Edward. It was his brother—he should be the one to tell the truth. "Emmett accidentally killed his sister in a hit-and-run accident when he was a teenager. Rosalie murdered her husband, who happened to be his friend. Alice was involved with his nephew. Jasper's family was killed by his people. I used to be married to his daughter."

Everyone was silent. "Rosalie killed someone?"

"Yes. Her ex-husband, Royce King III, who was abusing her. It was self defense."

None of the reporters said anything. They seemed to understand that this was all true, and very hard for us all to talk about.

"Are there any more questions?" Edward asked.

"Is it true you and your wife are being sued for custody of Emmett and Rosalie's daughters?"

Edward nodded. "Her family thinks they are more equipped to care for Charlotte and Gisele. We only want to go along with Emmett and Rosalie's wishes. It was Emmett's dying wish that my wife and I raise Charlotte and Gisele. We all need to be going. Thank you!"

We all headed to our cars to drive home. The custody case was coming up next week. Having met Rosalie's family, I could tell it was going to be an interesting case.

********

BPOV

"Aunt Bella, what's going on?" Charlotte asked me. I was getting her dressed in one of her nicer dresses. "Why do I have to wear my fancy dress?"

"We're going to a court today and they're going to decided who you're going to live with," I told her as I tied the sash on the back of her dress.

"But I want to live with you and Uncle Edward and Emily and Olivia!" she said.

"I know you do, sweetie, but your grandma and grandpa Hale want you to live with them."

"I don't _want_ to live with them!"

I laughed. "Well, you'll have to tell the judge that."

"Judge?" she asked as I started straightening her hair.

"Yes. We're going to see a judge, and he's going to ask you who you want to live with. All you have to do is tell him the truth."

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know you are, sweetie, but you don't need to be. The judge is a very nice man and he only wants to hear what you have to say. I'm going to be there with you if you get scared, okay?"

"Do you promise?" she asked, looking at me with Rosalie's eyes.

"I promise."

"Bell, we have to go," Edward called to me from downstairs. I took Charlotte's hand, and the two of us walked downstairs where Edward was waiting for us with Emily and Olivia. Gisele was still in the hospital, so she wouldn't be coming to the trial with us.

I buckled Charlotte into the seat while Edward helped Emily and Olivia into their car seats. I climbed into the front seat next to Edward and we drove to the courthouse.

"What do you think is going to happen?" I asked him.

"I don't know. It all depends on how Judge Turner rules and what the Hale's lawyer says. This could become very messy very fast. I just need you to promise me you'll remain calm. The worst thing would be for you to try and kill Rosalie's mother."

I took a deep breath. "I'll do my best."

He smiled at me and took my hand. We pulled into a parking space in the court parking lot and I turned around to face Charlotte. "Lola, I want to remember one thing: you need to tell the truth. When the judge asks who you want to live with, you tell him the truth. I don't care what the truth is; I just want you to be happy, okay?"

She nodded. We got out of the car and walked us the steps to the courthouse. I took a deep breath before walking inside.

**Please review! And if you're a ****Harry Potter**** fan, check out my new fanfic, "Way Back into Love"!**


	16. Verdict

Chapter 15: Verdict

BPOV

"Are all parties present?" the Honorable Judge William Turner asked, looking over his bench at the crowded courtroom. It seemed our custody hearing had attracted the whole state. "You are aware this is just a custody hearing, correct?" he asked the people watching. They all nodded and he shook his head.

"We are all here, your honor," our lawyer, Quil Ateara Jr. said. According to Edward, Quil's father, Quil Ateara Sr., had been a patient of Edward's with a terrible heart condition. Right before the fateful trip to Japan, Edward had figured out what was wrong with Quil Ateara Sr. and saved his life. The Ateara family was indebted to Edward, and had been giving him free oil changes, legal services, and bags of Cheetos ever since then.

"Very well. Mr. Franklin," he said, looking at the Hale's lawyer, "You may call your first witness."

"I call Adele Hale." Mrs. Hale got up from her seat and walked up to the stand.

The bailiff walked over to her. "Raise your right hand. Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I do."

"You may take a seat." She sat down. Her lawyer, Eugene Franklin, stood up and walked over to her.

"Will you state your full name for the record?"

"Adele Shirley Hale."

"And what is your relationship to Rosalie Carina Cullen, deceased?"

"She was my daughter."

"When was the last time you saw Rosalie?"

"About a month ago when someone from the army showed me her body."

"And how did you feel when you found out your daughter was dead?"

"I was horrified. I hadn't spoken to my daughter in 11 years, and it hit me that I'd never get a chance to apologize to her." She let out a sob. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's quite all right. Here," he said, handing her his handkerchief. She blew her nose and wiped her eyes. "Now, why are you suing for custody of your granddaughters? Don't you think Edward and Isabella Cullen are capable of caring for the children?"

"I'm sure they are. After all, they're parents themselves. My only wish is to get to know my granddaughters better so I can raise them like I raised my daughter. I miss my daughter so much, and if is the closest I can get to her, so be it."

"Why should you get custody over the Cullens?"

"They already have two children. Do you really think they are capable of caring for four young children? They're both very young, and it would be too much for them."

"Thank you, Mrs. Hale. No more questions, your honor."

"Mr. Ateara?"

"Just a few questions, your honor. Mrs. Hale, you said you hadn't spoken to your daughter in 11 years. Why not?"

"We had a disagreement."

"Over what?"

"I don't see how that is any of your business."

"Answer the question, Mrs. Hale," the judge said.

She sighed. "I loved her first husband and was furious at her for leaving him. Plus, she moved out to California and worked for Playboy. I didn't agree with her lifestyle choices."

"Did you have an opinion in Emmett Cullen?"

"He was a horrible person."

"Don't you think you might be biased towards Charlotte and Gisele, seeing as they are the children of Emmett and Rosalie?"

"Of course not. Well, I could make them be what I want them to be."

"Nothing further," Quil said, looking slightly disturbed.

Eugene Franklin called each member of the Hale family, and each one said how they thought they were capable of caring for Gisele and Charlotte while Edward and I weren't. I was at my breaking point by the time we finally recessed.

"Bella, can I talk to you?" Quil asked.

"Sure. What's up?"

"I think the best thing we can do is call her to the stand."

"No way. Absolutely not!" I said, glaring at him.

"But her opinion is what matters."

"Can't you find someone else?"

"If we call her, it could sway the judge's decision in your favor."

"Bella, she's doing okay now."

I looked from Edward to Quil. "Okay, fine."

We all walked back into the courtroom and took a seat.

"We call Charlotte Cullen to the stand." Charlotte stood up and walked to the front, where she was sworn in. Since she was so small, the bailiff had to lift her into the seat. "How are you, Charlotte?"

She didn't say anything.

"Charlotte?"

She hid her face and started to cry. "I want Mommy!"

"Your honor?" I said, standing up. "May I?"

He nodded and I walked over to Charlotte.

"Sweetie?"

"Aunt Bella, I want Mommy."

"I know, honey. She can't be here, but I have an idea. I made this for you," I said, pulling something out of my purse. I placed the picture frame next to her. In the frame, there was a photo of Charlotte, Gisele, Rosalie, and Emmett. "Mommy and Daddy can't be here physically, but they're always watching you. Now you can carry them around with you. If you ever miss them, just pull out the picture and look at them, okay?"

She nodded. I kissed her on the forehead before going back to my seat. Edward took my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Quil asked. She nodded. "How old are you?"

"Six. I'm going to be seven soon."

"Wow, you're such a big girl!"

She grinned.

"So, how do you like living with Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward?"

"I really like it. I have my own room, and Aunt Bella said we could paint it pink if I want. She said she'll let me paint my own walls!"

"Wow that sounds cool."

"Yeah, it is. Aunt Bella even took me shopping to pick out a new bear for Gisele when she gets home from the hospital."

"That sounds like fun. What else have you been doing with Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward?"

"Well, Uncle Edward works a lot and he watches Gisele when he works. Did you know Uncle Edward makes people better when they get sick?" She was starting to open up and was talking more. I smiled to myself as she went on, talking about Edward and me.

"…and then I went with Aunt Bella and she bought me a new dress. And she bought me a new doll to play with and we bought _Sleeping Beauty_ so I can watch it at home."

"Do you like living with your aunt and uncle?"

She nodded. "I even get to see Grandmom and Granddad Cullen and Grandpa Charlie a lot. Grandpa Charlie even let me ride in his police car!" I almost started crying when she called Charlie her grandpa, since he wasn't. She had really adjusted to living with us.

"Do you see your other grandparents?"

She shook her head. "I never met them until I came back from the island. Mommy always said her mommy and daddy were mean people and she didn't want me to be around them. She said her brother and sister were mean too and she would rather me and Gigi not meet them."

"Did she ever say why they were mean?"

"Mommy didn't like to talk about them. Whenever Daddy mentioned her mom and dad, she would get really mad at him and then Daddy would have to buy her flowers or jewelry to make her happy again." Everyone laughed. "But Mommy said she never wanted me to meet them."

"Charlotte, I have one more question for you, and then you can go back to Aunt Bella, okay?"

"Okay."

"Who do you want to live with?"

"I want to live with Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward. I get to see Olivia and Emily all the time and play with them. And Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward are really nice and Uncle Edward said we could make me a princess bed next week!"

"You can go back to your seat, Charlotte." She nodded and came running back to me.

"I have one more witness, your honor." Judge Turner nodded. "I call Special Agent Shauna Casey to the stand."

Eva/Shauna, who had been sitting in the back of the courtroom, walked up to the front and raised her right hand, swore to tell the truth, then took a seat.

"Agent Casey, did you know Rosalie and Emmett Cullen, both deceased?"

"I did. They were wonderful human beings who cared deeply about their friends and family."

"Did you know about Rosalie's relationship with her family?"

"I didn't. Rosalie and I never got along well, so I wouldn't be someone she would confide in. But I did know what Emmett's wishes were."

"His wishes?"

"Well, yes. You see, I was there when he died and heard what he said to Edward. He wanted his daughters raised by Bella and Edward."

"There's no proof."

"Actually, there is," she said, pulling a tape out of her pocket. "I had a tape recorder playing to capture everything that happened that day. It was recording right after Emmett was shot and it contains his dying wishes." Quil brought a tape player over to her and she inserted the cassette.

"_Emmett, stay with me! You have to stay alive—think of Charlotte and Gisele!"_

"_Edward, you've been the best little brother anybody could ever ask for. I need you to promise me something."_

"_Emmett, don't talk like that! You're going to be okay! We'll get you back to the beach, and everything will be okay."_

"_Edward, shut the fuck up. You and I both know that's a fucking lie. I'm going to die, and there's nothing you can do to stop it. He killed me, just like he killed Rosalie."_

"_Emmett, no. You have to fight harder! Think of your girls—they'll grow up without any parents."_

"_Edward, shut up and listen to me! I need you to make me a promise."_

"_Anything."_

"_I need you to look after my girls. I need you to raise them. I need you to protect them like they were your own daughters. Promise me you'll keep them safe, Edward."_

"_I promise. I promise."_

"_When Charlotte is 16 and comes home with her first boyfriend, I need you to be the one to give him the good cop/bad cop routine. I need you to be there for her because I can't."_

"_Emmett!"_

"_Edward, I know you're sad, but I need you to be strong. When you go back to the beach, I need you to comfort Charlotte and Gisele. I need you to be the one they can go to for anything. Do you understand?"_

"_I understand. I promise I'll be there for them."_

The tape ended and I pulled my hands off Charlotte's ears—she didn't need to hear that.

"As you heard, Emmett said he wanted his kids raised by his brother and his wife."

"Thank you."

********

"What do you think is going to happen?" I asked Edward after we walked back into the courtroom. "Do you think it's all going to work out okay?"

"Baby, I don't know. Whatever happens, we'll be a family, okay?" I nodded and we walked back into the courtroom with Charlotte, Emily and Olivia.

Everyone was walking back in from the break. I went and sat by Alice, who had David on her lap.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Like I'm going to throw up," I said. Leah and Mike had their kids here. Evan was sitting with Charlotte and talking to her. I was happy to see they were friendly—I guess being imprisoned in a giant cage can bring people together.

"Bella, don't worry," Leah said. "Charlotte said she wants to live with you and Shauna even had a tape recording of Emmett saying he wants his daughter to live with you. Why are you freaking out?"

"I don't know. I just feel like something bad is going to happen."

The doors to the chambers open and the judge walked in. He took a seat at the bench and cleared his throat.

"I've made my decision," Judge Turner said. "I've taken everything into consideration. When it comes to three-year-old Gisele and six-year-old Charlotte, Edward and Isabella Cullen are to be their guardians. It is in the wishes of the parents and the child's best interests that they be raised by their aunt and uncle."

"Oh my gosh!" I gasped, pulling Charlotte into my arms.

"Aunt Bella, what happened?"

"You get to stay with us, sweetie," I said, putting her back down and kissing Edward. Everyone was cheering. It was the happiest moment of my life.

"How about ice cream?" Edward asked the three girls.

"Yeah!" the all cheered.

"Can I get chocolate with sprinkles?" Emily asked as we walked out of the courthouse and down the steps.

"I want strawberry!" Charlotte said.

"Can I get it in a cone, Daddy?" Olivia asked.

Alice and everyone else was following us out. The press, of course, wanted a comment, but we ignored them. It was family time today. We wanted to spend the day with our kids. After this, we would go to visit Gisele in the hospital—the doctors said she was almost ready to leave and start living at home again.

I still needed to set up her room. All of her things were still in boxes and I needed to unpack them. I already had bought her a new bear since her old one was destroyed when she was kidnapped. I needed to get paint and a bed and a dresser and blankets and—

Shoot! My bag had ripped and all my stuff spilled out into the middle of the street I was crossing. I looked up and saw Edward and the girls waiting on the sidewalk for me. I grabbed my phone, lipstick, and wallet and shoved them into the remnants of my purse. I couldn't believe it had broken—it was brand new!

My sunglasses were the only thing left on the ground. I picked them up and stood up. Something hit me and everything went black.

********

"Ow," I said, sitting up and holding my hand to my head. The last thing I remembered was being hit by something and then I blacked out. I looked around, but I had no idea where I was. It wasn't a familiar room, and I was all alone.

Where was Edward? Where was Charlotte and Olivia and Emily? They had been waiting for me, so why weren't they here?

"Hello?" I called out, hoping someone would answer me. No one did. "Is anyone here?" I asked. Again, there was no answer. "Edward? This isn't funny!" I yelled. He didn't come out laughing. I was really alone in a room I didn't recognize.

"Bella?" someone called. I looked around, but didn't see anyone.

"Who said that?" I asked.

"Bella!" someone said, walking towards me. I looked up and saw my ex-fiancé, Jacob Black, standing there.

"Jacob?" I gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same question."

"Where am I?"

"I don't know. I just came here because I was needed."

"Wait, you're dead!" I said, starting to worry. "I remember watching you die!"

"Yes, I am dead."

"As am I," came another voice. I looked and saw Rosalie sitting on a bench. She looked as lovely as ever, and my heart ached when I saw her. "Hi, Bells."

"Yeah, what are you doing here?" came a gruff voice I knew too well. Emmett, looking just as strong as he had in life. "Why did you decide to stop in the middle of the street and not pay attention? If you were, you would have seen the car waiting for you. You would have been able to more."

"And you wouldn't be here now," Jacob added.

"So, am I dead?" I asked.

"Bella, what do you think?"

Oh boy.


	17. Dead or Alive?

Chapter 16: Dead or Alive?

**AN: Wow, wow, wow. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I'm not going to explain anything. I'll just give you the next chapter now.**

EPOV

Oh no.

Oh no!

This couldn't be happening!

My life was ending. There was no other explanation for what was happening now. Bella, the love of my life, was hanging onto life by a thread.

After we had left the courthouse, we decided to take the girls out for ice cream. If I hadn't been too preoccupied with getting to the other side of the road, I would have noticed Bella had fallen behind because her bag ripped.

If I had been paying attention, I would have seen the red pickup truck sitting in the corner of the street, waiting for us. I also would have seen the guy in the eye patch sitting at the table in the outdoor café with the small laser in his hand he used to split the bottom of Bella's bag.

Instead, I was preoccupied with getting the three girls into the Coldstone Creamery across the street. I thought Bella was right behind me, so when I heard the squealing of wheels and someone cry out in pain, I didn't turn around immediately. I made sure Emily, Olivia, and Charlotte were all still with me before turning to look what had just happened. That was when my life ended.

In front of me, sprawled on the ground, was Bella, my wife of three years. Her bag, ripped at the bottom, was two feet away from her while all of its contents were scattered over the road. I saw a cut on her temple that was bleeding. Her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving.

There was no car in sight, so who ever had hit her had fled the scene like a coward. It was a good thing they had because I would have killed them if they were still there.

I stood where I was while other people rushed over to her to see if she was still breathing. I saw Alice and Jasper rush to her side, but I couldn't move. I was in a state of shock and I didn't know what would bring me out of it.

"Aunt Bella!"

I looked next to me and saw horror etched on Charlotte's small face. I knew she was seeing her parents dead all over again. My poor niece had just buried her parents and was finally returning to a normal family life when this happened. It was like Emmett and Rosalie all over again.

No, I didn't know that. I didn't know if Bella was dead or not. She could still be alive for all I knew. I wasn't examining her, so I couldn't give my medical opinion.

"Edward, get over here!" Alice called to me. I ran over to her with Olivia, Emily, and Charlotte all behind me. I knelt beside my wife and placed two fingers on the side of her neck, searching for a pulse. I didn't feel one.

"C'mon Bella," I whispered. "Don't do this to me. I need you, okay? Don't you dare leave me like this!" I grabbed her wrist and felt for her pulse. I was about to give up when I felt something weak touch my finger. "Oh my god!" I gasped.

"What is it?" Alice asked, looking at me, fearing the worst.

"She has a pulse!"

********

BPOV

"So you're telling me I'm not dead?" I asked again.

"No, you're not dead," Jacob sighed, sitting next to me on some sort of bench. "You're almost dead, but you're still alive."

"I'm confused," I said. "If I'm not dead, why am I seeing all three of you? You _are_ dead, right?"

"Yes, we're all dead," Emmett said.

"You're seeing us because we're the people you would want to see," Rosalie explained.

"No offense to any of you," I said, "But if there was one person I would choose to see it would be—"

"Bella!" someone called. I looked for the origin of the voice and spotted a woman with curly, light brown hair. She had a warm smile and looked at me like we hadn't seen each other for ages. She wore a black dress with matching pumps and was about my age. Even though it had been years, I would recognize her anywhere.

"Mom!" I rushed forward to pull her into a hug, but she went through my fingers. It was like she was a ghost. I looked at her confusedly. "What's going on?" I asked all of them. "Why can't I tough you?"

"Well, we're not really here sweetie," my mom said.

"So, is this a dream?" I asked. "Is this not really happening?"

"Oh, it's happening all right," Emmett said. "You're here until they decide if you stay with us or go back to the land of the living."

"Huh?"

"Basically, you're stuck here until you either die or wake up. You're in a coma. You're brain suffered so much damage from the accident that until the swelling goes down, you're here with us," Jacob explained.

"So you mean I might die?" I gasped. They all nodded. "But why? What did I do?"

"You pissed off my mother. If you can even call her that," Rosalie said darkly, her eyes narrowing into slits. "You too possession of Gisele and Charlotte while she wanted them so she could corrupt their innocent minds and steal their inheritance for her own petty reasons. When the judge gave them to you, all her plans went out the window and you became public enemy number one."

"But why me?"

"You were alone. Edward was walking with the kids and they had the perfect opportunity to take you out. You know, splitting your bag with a laser while you were in the middle of the street and having my father parked around the corner, waiting for the signal to run you over."

I gasped. "They were waiting for me?"

"Well, not so much you. More like they were waiting for someone from your family to stop long enough for the car to hit them," Emmett explained.

"Wait, how do you know all this?" I asked, looking at the four of them.

"Honey, we're dead. We watch you and know everything," my mom said kindly.

"Like the fact that you've been talking to my dad ever since I died," Jacob said, staring at me.

"Does that bother you?" I asked him.

He smiled. "Bella, we were going to be married. He was going to be your father-in-law. Why would that bother me?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. I thought it might bother you that Edward and he became friends."

Jacob laughed. "Bella, anything that makes him happy makes me happy. I wish I hadn't died and left you alone. I wish I had lived so I could have been the one to marry you and have babies with you and grow old with you. But since I wasn't, I'm glad you found someone who is right for you and was able to give you everything you wanted out of life. I'm glad my father was able to grow close to you. He might have lost me as a son, but he gained you as a daughter."

"But I'm not his daughter," I reminded him.

"Maybe not legally, but that's what he sees you as. When Charlie stopped talking to you, who did you turn to? When you had no one to walk you down the aisle, who was the first person you thought of to ask? When your daughters wanted to see their grandpa, who did you take them to instead?"

I thought about what Jacob had just said, and realized that when Charlie had left me without a father, I turned to Billy instead. He filled the void Charlie had left in my heart. Jacob was right—I _had_ become Billy's daughter. He filled the absence of Charlie while I filled the absence of Jacob.

"What's going on with me now?" I asked. "Am I dead yet?"

"No, you're on your way to the hospital where Edward is desperately hoping they will be able to save you," Rosalie said bluntly. She never was one to sugarcoat things.

"Can't I see what's going on?" I asked.

Emmett shook his head. "You're still a part of your body. You're not a ghost or something like that. You're just…here."

********

EPOV

"Female, Caucasian, 29. Automobile accident," the EMT told the doctor as we walked into the hospital. They were wheeling Bella on a gurney and had an IV hooked up to her. This was not looking good.

"What kind of injuries are we dealing with?" the doctor asked. I knew who he was—Doctor Stewart, a smart-ass punk who, in my opinion, had been promoted to an attending way to early. He acted like he was better than everyone, and I hated him.

"Head trauma and internal injuries," the EMT responded. They wheeled Bella into an emergency room. I went to follow when Kelly, the ER nurse on duty, stopped me.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Cullen, but you know you can't go in there."

"Kelly, I'm a doctor!"

"Yes, sir, I know. But you know the hospital policy. I'm sorry, but you have to wait out here. We'll let you know her status as soon as we can." Kelly gave me an apologetic look before disappearing behind the doors into the emergency room where they were working on Bella. I glared at the door before taking a seat in the waiting area.

Emily and Olivia were sitting next to each other while Charlotte sat in front of them, reading them a picture book. They both looked up at her, mesmerized by the story.

"Hey," Alice said, kissing me on the cheek before taking a seat next to me. "What's happening?"

"They took Bella into one of the emergency rooms, but they wouldn't let me in."

"What? Why?" Leah asked.

"Hospital policy. Only the doctors, nurses, and EMTs can be in the ER."

"But you're a doctor!" Cynthia protested. "You work at this hospital!"

I sighed. "I know. It doesn't matter—I'm off-duty, so I'm the same as you." I put my head in my hands and tried to breathe. Evan, Bryant, and Ryan had all joined the three girls on the floor. David was in Alice's lap sleeping.

We all sat there for the next few hours, waiting for news. We hadn't seen one doctor, nurse, or EMT. We hadn't seen anything.

"No news is good news, right?" Jasper said, trying to cheer me up.

"Maybe. Maybe not. She could be fading right now, and they're trying to save her before she flat lines. She could be coming out of surgery and they're waiting for her to wake up before telling us. I have no idea what's going on because no one will fucking tell me anything!"

All the kids turned to stare at me.

"Go back you your book," I told them quietly.

"Dr. Cullen?" someone asked. I turned and saw Nurse Kelly standing there.

"Where's the doctor?" I asked her, getting up. This wasn't good—Doctor Stewart was known for sending his nurses to tell families bad news. Maybe that was one of the reasons I hated him so much.

Kelly gave me a look. "I have news about your wife," she said quietly. I looked at her. "She's very lucky. There wasn't much internal damage, which is unusual in a case like this. We were able to operate and stop any of the bleeding."

"That's great," I said, knowing she was about to tell me something that would shatter my world.

"There's some bad news too," she said.

I sighed and looked at her. "What is it?"

"There was a significant amount of swelling and bleeding in the brain. Bella has slipped into a coma. There's nothing we can do except wait for the swelling to go down. Assuming that happens, she should wake up. You can go and see her now." She gave me a pitying look before walking back to her desk.

I walked over to everyone. My face must have mirrored what I was feeling because Newton stood up instantly. "What happened?"

"She's in a coma," I whispered. "There was swelling to the brain, but they can't do anything about it except wait for the swelling to go down."

"What if that doesn't happen?" Seth asked.

I shook my head. "It'll be very bad if that doesn't happen. We can go and see her now." I went over to get Olivia, Emily, and Charlotte. The four of us walked to Bella's room with everyone else following us. I walked into the room and saw my beautiful wife lying in the hospital bed, giving no notice that I had just entered the room.

I sat down next to her bed, took her hand in mine, and began to pray.

********

BPOV

"Can't I do anything to help myself?" I asked in frustration. "I mean, can't I do something to make myself wake up?"

Jacob shook his head. "There's nothing anyone can do. The doctors put you in your room to let you lay there. They're hoping for the best, but fearing the worst."

"Great," I said, sinking into a chair that had just appeared in the room. "If I die, I'll never get to say goodbye to Edward. Or Charlotte, Gisele, Olivia, or Emily. This is just what I need."

"Bella, you need to think positive," Rosalie said to me. "If you think you're going to die, you'll die. Plain and simple."

"But I am going to die," I whispered. "It doesn't matter, either. Edward will move on and forget all about me."

Rosalie got up and walked over to me. She reared her hand back and struck me across the face.

"Ow!" I said, touching the spot on my cheek where she had struck me. "What was that for? And I thought you couldn't touch me."

"We can't unless we have enough emotion in us. You made me so mad I had to slap some sense into you."

"What do you care if I die?" I asked them. "I'll be with all of you. Don't you want that?"

"Bella, why would we want you to join us? That would mean you were dead, and I would never wish that on anybody, not even my worst enemy," Jacob said, walking over and sitting next to me on the chair that had just become a couch. "When I was alive, you were my life. You were the most important thing to me. After I died, I kept watching over you. I never want you to join me. I love you enough to let you go."

I looked at him.

"Bella, if you die now, it will _destroy_ Edward," Emmett told me. "My brother is hanging onto sanity by a thread. If you die, I don't know what will happen to him. You're his soul mate. He honestly can't live without you."

"Think about what your death would do to your daughters," my mother said. "Remember how you felt after I was killed? Do you want that to happen to Olivia and Emily too? I died when you were so young, and I don't think you ever truly got over it. I mean, I was never there to give you guidance. Plus, it destroyed your father. He was never there for you, which resulted in a teenage pregnancy, no college, and you working as a waitress at a strip club."

"Bella, Charlotte and Gisele have already lost both their parents. Don't make them lose their only aunt too. Gisele is finally recovering. Charlotte is able to have a conversation without screaming for me or Emmett. If you die, she's going to regress back into her screaming, crying stage and I don't think she would ever recover from it. Gisele will go back into shock, and probably never come out of it. Bella, you have to fight to live."

"But none of you did!" I cried. "You all left me when I needed you. Why should I fight to live when I can stay with you forever? I'll see Edward, Alice, and everyone else eventually. I want to stay here."

"Bella, we didn't have a choice. It was our time to go, so we went," my mother said softly. "When it's God's plan, you don't have an option. You, however, aren't meant to go yet. You need to fight to live! You need to live for everyone else. Your death will destroy them. Bella, fight for your life!"

I looked at Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob, and my mother. They were all glaring at me, daring me to disagree with them. I didn't because I knew they were right. If I died, Edward would never be the same. He would be a half person, like Charlie was when Renee died. He'd either keep living that way or kill himself to end the pain. Then what would happen to the kids? Maybe they'd go to Esme and Carlisle. Maybe they'd go to Charlie. Maybe they'd go to Rosalie's parents. Whatever happened to them, it would be my fault.

"You're right," I whispered. "I don't belong here with you. Not yet, at least. Someday I'll be back, but not now. I have my family to look after, and I can't desert them. I love you all, but I have to go." I felt tears failing down my cheeks, so I wiped them away. I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

When I pulled my hand away, it started burning. It glowed bright before fading.

"What's happening?" I asked, panicking. I wanted to live, but I was slowly disappearing. My entire body was fading. I looked over to where Jacob and the others had been, but they were gone. "Jacob!" I shouted. "Rosalie! Emmett! Mom! Where are you?"

"We're here," came Rosalie's voice. "We're here with you, whatever happens. Never forget that."

"We all love you, Bella," Jacob added. "Remember that."

Everything faded into darkness again before I opened my eyes.

"Bella?"

********

EPOV

I laid my head on Bella's bed, trying to make her wake up. She just had to. I don't know what I would do without her. She was everything to me, and I don't think I would be able to live without her.

I looked at her beautiful face, but her eyes were still closed. Her room was now empty—Seth and Cynthia had taken Olivia, Emily, and Charlotte back to their place for the night so I could be alone with Bella.

I got up and went into the hall to breath for a minute. I had to prepare myself for what might be coming. I was upset when Emmett died, but if Bella died—no, I wouldn't think about it yet.

I walked into the cafeteria and grabbed a cup of coffee. I grabbed a doughnut too before walking back up the stairs into Bella's room. When I walked in, I noticed something different.

Bella's eyes were open.

"Bella?" I asked. Her eyes darted to my face.

"Edward?" she croaked.

"Oh my god, Bella!" I said, rushing to her side. I couldn't believe it—she was actually awake. I set my coffee on the table before wrapping my arms around her.

"Edward," she gasped.

"Bella, I'm here. I'm never letting go of you again."

"Could you maybe let go right now? You're kind of crushing my spine."

"Oh, sorry." I dropped my arms, but took her hand before sitting down. "So are you okay?"

"Edward, I'm great. I've never been better in my life."

"Baby, you just came out of a coma. You were hit by a car."

"I know. But Edward, I left the hospital when I was in the coma. I mean, I didn't, but I did."

I looked at her. "Honey, what are you talking about?"

"I saw Emmett and Rosalie and Jacob and my mother. They talked to me while I was unconscious. Edward, they brought me back to life!"

I looked at her skeptically.

"You don't believe me," she said.

"Of course I do," I told her.

"No you don't, but it doesn't matter. I'm just happy to be alive."

"You'll be happy about one more thing," I told her.

"What?"

"That Hale's are in jail. The police found out they were the ones who ran you over, so their in jail for attempted murder, reckless driving, and a bunch of other stuff."

"Oh, Edward, that's wonderful!"

"I know. Now let's go home baby."

**Only a few more chapters left! It makes me want to cry!**


	18. Charlotte

Chapter 17: Charlotte

**10 Years Later**

Charlotte POV

It's okay. It's okay. It's not like I'm confessing to murder or something like that.

No, it's so much worse.

Ever since I was six years old, I'd lived with my Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward and I'd loved it. My parents, killed protecting the lives of me and my younger sister, Gisele, wanted us to live with the only family we knew, Bella and Edward. So we'd lived with them ever since.

I wasn't complaining—I loved Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward. I just missed my parents. Growing up, I knew they were never going to be there for the important milestones in a girl's life.

Like when I was nine and had my first sleepover party, Aunt Bella helped me plan it and host it instead of Mom. Aunt Bella took me shopping for a new nightgown to impress my friends with instead of Mom. Aunt Bella took me to the grocery store and let me get a three-layer pink cake covered with candy roses instead of Mom.

Or when I was 14 and went on my first date with Glenn Peterman to the movies. Uncle Edward interrogated him instead of Dad. Uncle Edward threatened him with bodily harm if he hurt me, broke my heart, or brought me home after curfew instead of Dad. Uncle Edward was the one who told me I looked beautiful instead of Dad.

Or when I was 15 and came home crying because Liz Cromwell was teasing me because I was flat-chested and thin as a board while all the other girls had boobs and curves. It was Aunt Bella who took me to the mall to go shopping to make me feel better instead of Mom. It was Aunt Bella who reassured me I would get boobs when I was a little older and that I was just maturing slower than the other girls in my grade instead of Mom. It was Aunt Bella who told me she was a skinny, flat girl in the beginning of high school too instead of Mom.

Now, however, at 16, I was coming to a big milestone—my first official boyfriend. I'd gone on dates with boys before, but I'd never had a _boyfriend_. As of Wednesday, I did. He was the sweetest, kindest, most genuine boy I'd ever known, and I was so happy we were finally dating. We hadn't kissed or anything yet, but I knew he wanted to get the approval of Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward before we got too serious.

I understood.

I stood in my room, pacing. Gisele was stretched out on my bed, reading the latest issue of _Vogue_ while Olivia and Emily sat on the ground, painting each other's nails.

"Be careful," I told them. "I don't want any of that getting on my carpet."

"I know," Olivia said, shaking out her bronze curls. She dipped the brush in the bottle again before painting Emily's nails a shiny blue color.

"Olivia, I said not blue!" Emily complained, pulling her hand back and wiping her nail on a paper towel. "I said clear or light pink!"

"Emily, you're so boring! Why not use a cool color? Something people will actually _see_!"

"I don't want a bright color on my hands! I want to blend in, not stand out, okay?"

Olivia sighed. "Fine." She picked up a bottle of light pink polish and painted her twin sister's nails.

Emily and Olivia, even though they were identical twin sisters, were completely different. Olivia was very girly, into fashion and extremely outgoing while Emily was shy and preferred to blend in. She didn't care about hair, clothes, or make up. I was shocked she was letting Olivia paint her nails.

"Did you know fur is in this season?" Gisele asked, not looking up from her magazine.

"No it's not," Olivia scoffed. "That's just something Anna Wintour is saying so she doesn't seem like such a hag when she wears it. Even if it is in, which I highly doubt, I would never wear it. Wearing fur is so disgusting. I can't believe people find it fashionable to wear a coat made of baby bunnies." She gagged before moving onto Emily's toes.

"Why are you painting my toes?" Emily asked. "It's not like anybody's going to see them."

"Charlotte, are you going to tell Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward or not?" Gisele asked, looking up from her magazine.

"I will."

"Aren't you going out with him tonight? Shouldn't they know about him _before_ he comes to pick you up?" Olivia asked.

"I guess. Well, he said he wants to meet them before we go out."

Emily laughed. "He already knows them! It's not like he's meeting them for the first time!"

"Well he wanted to meet them as my _boyfriend_, okay?" I said, giving my sister and my cousins a look. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and answered it. "Hello?"

"Hey," came my favorite voice. "I'm on my way over. Are your aunt and uncle ready to meet me?"

"Honey, they already know you," I reminded him.

"I know, but they're meeting me as your boyfriend."

I sighed. "Yes, they'll be ready for you when you get here. I'll see you soon."

"Bye."

I hung up the phone and put it back in my pocket. "I guess I better go down and tell Aunt Bella and Uncle Edward about our visitor." I shook out my blonde curls and headed downstairs. Aunt Bella was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book while Uncle Edward was standing at the counter, chopping up chicken for dinner.

"Hey, sweetie," Uncle Edward said, greeting me. "What's up?"

"Um, Uncle Edward? There's someone coming over tonight who I want you to meet."

"Who's that?" Aunt Bella asked, looking up.

"My boyfriend," I said quietly.

"Boyfriend?" Aunt Bella asked. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend."

"Well, it just happened this week, and he didn't want to take me out before introducing himself first. That's okay, isn't it?" I asked.

"Of course it is," Aunt Bella said just as the doorbell rang. "I'll go get the door. Edward, put the knife down!" she said, glaring at my uncle. I turned around and saw Uncle Edward holding the knife in his hands.

"Aww, man!"

"Now!"

Uncle Edward grumbled as he put the knife on the counter and the two of us headed into the living room.

"Evan! What a nice surprise!" I heard Aunt Bella say. "Why don't you join us in the living room? We were just waiting to meet Charlotte's boyfriend."

"Uh—"

"Well, come on," she said. Evan Newton and Aunt Bella came into the living room and took a seat. Bella sat next to Edward while Evan sat next to me.

"Um, Aunt Bella?" I asked.

"Where is that boyfriend of yours? He really should be on time, you know."

I looked over at Evan and stifled a laugh. "Aunt Bella, he's already here."

"Where? I didn't see him come in."

"He's in this room," Evan said.

"What?" Uncle Edward asked.

"Aunt Bella, Uncle Edward—I'm dating Evan."

"WHAT?" they both shouted at once, rising to their feet and glaring at both of us. I shrunk back into the couch as Evan took my hand.

"Charlotte—I don't—ho could—your parents—" Aunt Bella stuttered, trying to form a cohesive sentence.

"Do you know what your father would say if he found out you were dating the son of an Eagles player?" Uncle Edward said, glaring at Evan.

"He's like your brother!" Aunt Bella shrieked. "You two were raised together!"

"Aunt Bella, Uncle Edward—chill!" I shouted at them. They both looked at me, shocked. I had never once raised my voice to them. "Evan and I have been good friends for a long time, but we've started growing closer recently. I thought you would approve—you know him and know how he'll treat me. I really care about him, so please let me go out with him!"

They both looked from me to Evan. I saw the unhappy looks in their eyes, and I knew at once that they were going to say no.

"Okay," Aunt Bella said.

"What?" I asked.

"What?" Uncle Edward asked.

"I said okay. You can go out with him." She turned to Evan. "But I want her home by nine-o'clock. And no funny business, understand? If you break her heart, I'll have some choice words for your parents."

"I can't believe Emmett's daughter is dating the son of Mike Newton," Uncle Edward groaned. "He must be either rolling over in his grave or laughing at this."

"I'm going to go with rolling over in his grave," Aunt Bella said.

"Thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen," Evan said, standing up. "I promise to have her home on time and to keep her safe. You don't have to worry about us."

"Uh huh, that's what they all say," Uncle Edward muttered. I gave him and Aunt Bella a kiss before exiting the house and hopping into Evan's car.

********

Sophomore year went by in a flash. Soon, it was junior year, which meant studying for the SATs and tough classes. Evan and I made it through the summer and were hailed as Beverly Hills High's golden couple. While I was stressing out about SATs, Evan was stressing out about college applications.

He had been recruited to play football at USC, Alabama, and the University of Florida. His dad was trying to push him towards Florida, saying he was likely to be drafted by the Eagles if he went there.

His mom, on the other hand, was pushing him towards Notre Dame or Boston College, the top Catholic universities in the country.

His Uncle Seth and Aunt Cynthia were pushing him towards UC Berkley, their alma mater.

His dream school was Harvard.

"Like I'll even get in," he said one day while we were sitting in the park. "I mean, they only take the best."

"Baby, stop stressing. You have perfect grades and got a 2350 on the SATs. They'd be stupid not to take you." I rolled onto my back on the blanket we were laying on, looking over one of my practice tests. "Besides, it's me you should be worrying about."

The test was removed from my hands and Evan was hovering over me. "Charlotte, how many times do I need to tell you? You'll do great. You've been studying your ass off for the past six months. If you don't get a perfect score, I will write a strongly worded letter to the ETS on your behalf." He bent down and kissed me on the lips.

There were many things in life I enjoyed, but none of them came close to kissing Evan. His lips were always so soft and warm. They made me forget what I was doing and made me want to keep kissing him. Of course, kissing was all we did.

II would have loved to go further with my boyfriend of over a year, but Evan had his rules. Like nothing more than second base. At least not until I was out of high school. He was so concerned with preserving my innocence, or virtue, or whatever you want to call it. Even though we were making out on the grass, I knew Evan would stop us soon. That was his routine: a few minutes of kissing followed by him putting the brakes on and going back to studying.

"Charlotte? Evan?" someone asked. Evan pulled his lips away from mine and we looked to see who was behind us. Bryant, Evan's 16-year-old brother was standing there, smirking at us. "Are you _both_ trying out for the tonsil-hockey team?"

"Beat it, Bryant," Evan growled.

"Good idea. I'll just go home and tell Mom what I caught you doing. I'm sure she'll still be okay with you and Charlotte _studying_ alone in your room."

"Okay, and I'll tell her who _really _broke Grandma Sue's flower vase."

The smile fell from Bryant's face. "You wouldn't! Maribel was grounded for 3 months for that!"

"Then you'll conveniently forget you saw me here, okay?"

Bryant scowled. "Fine," he said before stalking away.

"Aren't little siblings so sweet?" I said, kissing him on the cheek, trying to get him to resume where we left off. Unsurprisingly, he rolled to the side and starting working on his college applications again. I sighed before slipping back onto my stomach to keep studying for my SATs.

"Evan, are we ever going to do more than just kiss?" I asked him. He turned and looked at me. "I mean, I love kissing you, but you're always treating me like this porcelain doll that will break if you're too rough with me."

"Charlotte, that's not it."

"Then is it the fact that you don't want me? That you'd rather be with someone older and more mature? Someone more like Jamie Broughton?"

"Lola, why would you say that? I love you, and only you. Of course I want you, in every way possible. And we will go further eventually. Just not yet."

I looked into his green eyes. "Okay." I stretched my neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, about this college essay…"

********

"Charlotte, you look so beautiful!" Aunt Bella gushed as I walked down the stairs in my prom dress. It was time for Evan's senior prom, and I was obviously his date.

"Are you sure it looks okay?" I asked, spinning in a circle to show off every aspect of the dress.

"Charlotte, stop worrying. You look amazing in everything you wear," Gisele said, looking up from her magazine. "But that dress is seriously hot on you. Evan isn't going to be able to form coherent sentences when he sees you."

I looked down at the gown—a white dress with a clack bodice. I had my hair straightened and pulled into a side bun while I wore drop earrings and the necklace Evan had given me for our one-year anniversary. "But what if he doesn't like it?" I asked.

"Then I'll punch him in the stomach," Emily said, smiling sweetly.

I laughed. "This is why I love you guys." I kissed my sister and my two cousins on the cheek before taking a seat on the couch next to my uncle. "Cheer up, Uncle Edward. Evan's a really great guy."

"I know that," he said. "I just don't know how your dad would feel about you dating the son of his biggest enemy—"

"—who became one of his best friends," Aunt Bella finished. "Emmett would be happy for Charlotte, and you know that, Edward. Now get up so I can get a picture with you and Charlotte before Evan arrives." Uncle Edward stood up and Aunt Bella took our picture. No matter how wealthy my aunt and uncle were, they still acted like every other parent when their kid (or in this case, niece) went to prom.

The doorbell rang. There was lots of squealing and running as Olivia, Gisele, and Emily raced to answer the door. "Hi, Evan," the three of them said in unison.

"Hey girls," he said, walking into our house. I stood by the couch as he was led in by Olivia with Gisele and Emily following him. When he spotted me, he stopped dead.

"Is it okay?" I asked, spinning around. He didn't say anything. "It's not right for the prom?" I said, my face falling. "I can go and change if you want…"

"No, it's perfect," he choked out. "You look perfect," he said, walking up to me and taking my hand. "Oh, I got you this," he said, pulling out a pretty red corsage and slipping it onto my wrist. I gave him a kiss and heard the camera click.

"Aunt Bella!"

"Sorry!" she said, grinning at me. "I just don't want to miss a single moment of this. I mean, it's not every day your eldest niece goes to prom!"

I rolled my eyes as she began taking pictures. Once we had been photographed with everyone and their third cousin, we were finally able to leave. Evan had rented a limo for the two of us, so we climbed inside and headed towards prom.

"So, did I do okay?" he asked as the driver sped down the road. "Is it perfect?"

"It is," I said, kissing him on the lips.

"Well, I have a surprise for later," he whispered in my ear.

"Really?" I asked. "What is it?"

"Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you!" he said, taking my hand in his. The rest of the way, I kept my head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around my waist.

When we arrived at the hotel, Evan helped me out of the car and the two of us headed into the prom. We made it to the table with all of Evan's friends and took a seat. Every single guy at the table was staring at me in awe.

"Uh, hey," I said to all of them.

"Hey, Charlotte," Evan's best friend, Ajay, said, smiling at me.

"Can you tell me how this loser snagged the hottest chick at BHHS?" his other friend, Max, asked, pointing to Evan. I blushed a deep shade of red. Evan responded by grabbing my face and pulling me in for a kiss.

I spent most of dinner eating and talking to Ajay's girlfriend, Emma, who was also a junior, and ignoring the glances I was getting from every other male in the room. Eventually, the music started and Evan pulled me onto the dance floor. We began spinning around in circles. When the slow songs came on, Evan would pull me onto his face and hold me close. I would always rest my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat.

"I love you," I said during _1, 2, 3, 4_ by the Plain White T's.

"I know that," he said.

"It's just, you're going away to college on the other side of the country, and I'm never going to see you anymore," I said, wiping away the tears in my eyes.

"Charlotte…"

"No, listen to me. You're going to go to Harvard where you're going to meet a really smart girl. You're going to forget all about me and get married to her."

"Charlotte, that's not going to happen. When are you going to realize that I love you and only you?"

I looked up at him and saw him smiling at me. "I need some air," I said, letting go of him and heading outside. Luckily, there was only one other person out there, so I was able to think. Evan was going away. I knew this was coming eventually, but I wasn't ready for it to be so soon. I loved him more than anything, and I was terrified he was going to meet some girl at Harvard and forget all about me.

"Are you okay?" someone asked me. I turned and saw Luke Kenby, a senior I had gone on a date with once before I started going out with Evan, sitting next to me.

"Oh, hey Luke," I said. "I'm okay."

"You're crying," he observed, wiping away one of my tears. "Did Evan do something to you? If he did, I'll kill him…"

"Luke, he didn't do anything. I'm just upset since he's going to be leaving soon for college. I'm not ready to be alone."

"You're not going to be alone. You'll still have all your friends. And you'll see Evan during breaks. Maybe you can even go visit him on your breaks."

I smiled. "You're right. Thanks, Luke," I said, getting up. "You're a great friend."

"You know, you look amazing tonight. Why is it we never had more than one date?"

"Because I was in love with Evan. I dated you to make him see I was datable."

"Oh, yeah. Here, let me walk you inside."

"Thanks, Luke" I said, taking his arm. When we approached the door, I tripped over something. Luckily, Luck was there to catch me. He lifted me up, but instead of bringing me inside, he carried me over to the bushes on the side of the hotel and threw me on the ground. Then, he began kissing me. "Luke, what are you doing?" I asked, trying to push him off.

"Of, come on, Charlotte. We both know you want me. It's the perfect time—no Evan here to stop us." He bent his head back down and began trailing kisses down my neck, moving to my chest.

"Luke, stop!" I screamed. "I want to go back inside—take me inside!"

"No," he snarled, grabbing the top of my dress and ripping it at the seam so my pretty strapless bra was exposed. "I've always wanted you, and I know you've wanted me. Why don't you show me how much you love me."

"Luke, no! Stop, get off me!" I shouted, trying to push him off, but it was no use. He was bigger and stronger than me. "Help!" I screamed. "Somebody help me!"

"Shut up," he said, shoving his hand over my mouth to muffle my screams. He moved his free hand to his pants and unzipped them, pulling himself out. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom, shoving it into my hand. "Put it on me," he said, grinning.

I shook my head as tears fell down my cheeks.

"That wasn't a request, Charlotte. Put it on unless you want me to hurt you."

My hands shaking, I ripped the package open and pulled out the rubber circle. I reached my hands up and began to roll it on him, crying the entire time. I knew he was about to rape me, and I there was nothing I was able to do to stop it.

"Excellent," he moaned as my small hands slid up his shaft, sliding the condom on. Once I had let go, he looked down at me in my tattered dress. "Kiss it," he said, pointing to his dick.

I shook my head again.

"Do it!" he shouted, pulling me off the ground so my mouth was right next to his hard shaft. I shook my head again, and he hit me on the side of my head. "Do it now!" Tears falling down my face, I slowly moved my moth forward and lightly kissed his penis. When I was pulling away, he grabbed my hair and shoved himself inside my mouth, rocking back and forth. I tried to pull away, but he was holding me there so I couldn't move.

I started gagging and crying, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. I tried screaming, but every time I opened my mouth wider, he shoved himself farther inside.

"Go on, suck it," he moaned. "Suck it like a lollipop, Charlotte. Go on, I know you want to."

I started gagging again and sat still, waiting for Luke to finish. When he finally pulled himself out of my mouth, I started screaming until he forced me back on the ground and covered my mouth. He ripped the skirt of my dress until my thong was exposed. He moved his mouth down and started pulling my thong off me with his teeth.

His mouth brushed against my leg, and I shivered. This didn't feel nice like when Evan kissed me—it felt wrong and I felt dirty. I just kept sobbing as Luke pulled my thong further and further down my leg until I was completely exposed. He lifted my legs over my head and I prepared for him to penetrate me.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing, you bastard?" someone shouted, yanking Luke off me. I looked up and saw Evan holding Luke by the collar of his jacket, looking at him with pure hate. He dropped him on the ground before he began punching him. Once Luke had been beaten to a bloody pulp, Evan leaned next to his head. "If I _ever_ see you even look at her again, I _will_ kill you. Now get lost." Luke jumped off the ground and sprinted away, his dick still hanging out of his pants.

Evan turned his gaze on me. I was lying on the ground with my panties round my ankles and my dress ripped to shreds.

"Baby, are you okay?" he asked, kneeling beside me.

"Oh, Evan!" I said, sitting up and wrapping my arms around his neck. "I thought he was going to rape me for sure," I sobbed into his jacket. "I thought no one was ever going to hear me. I thought I was just going to have to lie here."

"Shh," Evan said kissing me on the top of my head and pulling me into his arms. He lifted me off the ground and carried me over to the limo. He placed me in the backseat then climbed in after me. "Peter, can you drive us back to Charlotte's house?" he asked.

"Of course, sir," the driver said, pulling out of the parking lot.

"But what about your prom?" I asked him. "Don't you want to stay?"

"Sweetie, you were just attacked. There's nothing I care about more than you, okay? You need to go home, and honestly, I only brought you to my prom because I knew you wanted to go. I could have cared less." He kissed me on the cheek.

"You really did that for me? Wow, you must really love me."

"More than anything else."

I looked up at him and took a deep breath. "Okay, we're going to try long distance. I don't like it, but I don't want to lose you. Anyways, you can come over breaks and I'll come to visit you while you're in Boston. Then next year I'll go to school in Boston. We'll make this work."

"Wow, you must really love me," he said.

"Of course I do," I said, kissing him on the tip of his nose. "Why else would I put up with you?"

He wrapped his arms around me and held my close while Peter drove me home. Sitting there, I knew we would be okay next year. Even though he was going away, we would make it. Evan and I were meant for each other. I had known that since I was six years old and he had protected me from the man who had brought us to the island. I had realized I loved him when I was eight years old and he had given me the last ice cream fudge bar when I was over his house, even though he really wanted it. I realized how much I loved him when I was 15 and saw him kissing Fiona Taylor during school. I realized I was going to marry him when I was 17 and he saved me from being raped by Luke.

Evan Howard Newton was the boy I would someday marry.


	19. The End

Chapter 18: The End

**AN: Thank you to my reviewers. High fives for all of you. And this is the last chapter—it makes me sad, but this is then end of everyone's story. I hope you all enjoyed reading this—I know I enjoyed writing it.**

**5 Years Later**

(Charlotte is 22, Evan is 23, Gisele and Ryan are3 19, Bryant is 21, Olivia and Emily are 18, David is 17, Maribel is 16.)

BPOV

"Okay, girls, let's go," I said to Olivia and Emily as we made our way into the hair salon. Tonight was Olivia and Emily's senior prom. Next week, they were graduating. Then, in the fall, they were both going away to college. For the first time in 18 years, Edward and I were going to have the house to ourselves.

"I _still_ can't believe you're dating someone who's younger than you!" Olivia exclaimed to Emily as she hopped into the chair in the salon. "I mean, he's younger than you!"

"At least I'm not dating someone who's _three years older_ than me."

Olivia glared at Emily.

"Girls, chill," I reminded them. "We don't need a repeat of the Nordstroms incident." Both girls laughed before telling their stylists what they wanted for their hair.

I took a seat by the window and picked up the magazine on the table—a tabloid with Charlotte and Evan's faces plastered on the cover, announcing their marriage. I sighed and turned to the article, reading about the wedding I had already been to. It was ridiculous—the plane crash had happened more than 20 years ago, yet we were all still followed by the press. Then again, most of us (us being the JAL Ten,) were famous for other reasons, like being football players, actors, and heiresses.

"Mom," Olivia called over to me. I looked up and saw her looking at me. "Can you _please_ talk to Daddy and see if he'll let us go to Paris this summer?"

"I don't see why you two don't just go on a trip across the country instead. If you were staying within the continental United States, I don't think your father would be having such an issue with it."

"But we're going to college in the fall," Emily whined. "And you said we could go on a trip after graduation!"

I sighed and massaged my forehead. "I know. I'll talk to him tonight while you guys are at prom, okay?"

"Yay!" Olivia squealed. She and Emily both knew that they would get what they wanted if I talked to Edward. I was able to persuade my husband to do anything I wanted, and they both knew that.

I looked back down at the article and went to the description of Charlotte. They said she was stunning in an original Alice Whitlock gown. Of course, Alice spent months working on the dress. After all, it was for Rosalie's eldest daughter. Her bridesmaids also wore original gowns designed by Alice. I looked at the picture of Gisele, Charlotte, Olivia, Emily, and Maribel all smiling and tore it out to take home with me.

I flipped through the pages and looked at all the pictures the photographer managed to get of the wedding. Of course, there was a picture of Charlotte and Evan during their first dance. There were photos of everyone dancing, including Edward and I. Then, there was my favorite picture—Leah, Mike, Cynthia, Seth, Alice, Jasper, Edward, and I all standing together. The JAL Ten, with two missing, of course.

It had been 16 years, yet I still missed Emmett and Rosalie. Not a day went by without me thinking about them. It had been so hard watching Edward walk Charlotte down the aisle since Emmett wasn't there to do it himself. I had been the one to take her dress shopping instead of Rosalie. It just wasn't fair that they had been taken from us when they had so much more life to live.

Once Olivia and Emily had their hair done, we left the salon and drove home. When we got to the house, it was empty, just like I expected. Edward was still working, and he would probably get home just in time to see the girls leave for the dance. I swear, he spent all his free time working. Sometimes (though I didn't tell Edward this, of course,) I understood why his ex-wife, Tanya had an affair. It just got so lonely around the house when I was the only one in it. I saw Alice, Leah, and Cynthia, but it wasn't the same as having your husband home with you.

I fixed the girls lunch, then went and took a seat in the den, relaxing on the couch. I loved being a mother, but sometimes it just wore me out. As much as I was going to miss them, I was looking forward to Olivia and Emily leaving for college in the fall. I knew they both would be fine—they were staying in California, after all. Olivia was going to UCSB while Emily went to Stanford. Olivia, the party girl, went to the party school while Emily, the valedictorian, went to one of the top universities in the country.

I heard the door open and was about to get up to see who it was when I heard a scream.

"Charlotte!" Olivia screeched. Well, I guess Charlotte and Evan were home from their honeymoon. I heard footsteps and the unmistakable sound of something being knocked over. Unfortunately for Olivia, she inherited my klutziness. I got up off the couch and walked towards the front hallway to greet my eldest niece.

Charlotte, looking beautiful after spending a week on the beach, smiled when I entered the room. Evan was standing right behind her with their bags in his hands.

"Aunt Bella!" she exclaimed, rushing over to me and pulling me into a hug.

"So, Mrs. Newton," I asked her. Her face lit up when I used her new name. "How was the honeymoon?"

"Amazing," she gushed, walking in and taking a seat at the kitchen table. She picked up a cookie off the plate in the middle of the table and bit it. "We had so much fun. Thanks so much for getting us that for our wedding. We really had a great time."

Evan took a seat next to her and nodded. "Yeah, thanks a lot, Bella."

I smiled. "It was no problem. Edward will be thrilled to hear you guys had a great time."

"Where's Gigi?" Charlotte asked, looking around the kitchen.

"Over at Ryan's place, where else?" I laughed. "Ever since they both got back from college, she's spent every waking moment over there. I'm pretty sure Leah sees her more in one day than I've seen her all week."

"Well what do you expect?" Charlotte asked. "They've spent all year away from each other. Now, they finally have a chance to see each other again." She was right. While Gisele was pre-med at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee, Ryan was pre-law at the University of Washington in Seattle. "I don't know why they didn't just go to school together like Evan and I."

"It's because Ryan couldn't get into Vanderbilt," Evan laughed. "His grades sucked, so he had no shot of getting in."

I shook my head. "Of course not. He spent all high school chasing girls before he realized he was in love with Gisele while she spent all of high school studying before she realized she was in love with Ryan."

"Those two crack me up," Charlotte laughed. "Hey, where's Uncle Edward?"

I gave her a look. "Where do you think he is?"

"Hospital?"

I nodded. "I swear, that's his home and he just visits here every once in a while."

"Well, is he coming here tonight?"

"I _told_ him he better be here for when the twins leave for prom or he's sleeping on the couch for the next few months. I hope I got through to him."

Evan laughed before pulling Charlotte closer to him. When I watched them, it made my heart ache a little bit. They were so in love while I had an absent husband. I was sick of Edward spending all his time at the hospital instead of with me. Once the twins left, I would have no one here. I would have to get a dog or something to keep me company.

"So, what's the plan for you two tonight?" Charlotte asked Olivia and Emily.

"Dinner, than prom, than the beach. Our friend, Maggie, has a cabin at the beach, so we're all going there for the weekend."

"Are your boyfriends coming too?" Evan asked.

"Of course."

I looked at Olivia. "I don't know how I feel about my barely legal daughter going and spending the weekend at the beach with her 21-year-old boyfriend without any parents."

"Mom, chill. It's not like you didn't do worse shit when you were in high school."

"Yeah, Mom," Emily said, joining her sister. Great—I was outnumbered.

"Fine. But if I get any phone calls from police or you two while you're drunk, the Paris deal is off."

"Really? Thank you, Mom!"

I shook my head before turning back to Charlotte and Evan. The rest of the afternoon, we talked about their honeymoon and their plans for the future.

"Well, we just got married, so we're not planning on having kids yet. I mean, we're both really young and just out of college, so I don't see the rush," Evan said.

"I agree," Charlotte said. "I mean, Evan's going to be working full time and I'm going to be in school for my masters. We just don't have time right now."

"Yeah. Plus, look at Cynthia and Seth. They didn't have kids until they had been married for a few years."

"Yeah, neither did Alice and Jasper."

I laughed. "I'm not pressuring you to have kids. I think it's better to wait then to have them right away."

"Yeah. You and Edward waited how long, three days, before getting pregnant after you were married?" Charlotte asked. I threw a napkin at her.

"Hey, I'm still your aunt!"

"Hey, don't you two need to get changed before your boyfriends get here?" Evan asked the twins, who were sitting on the couch watching television.

I checked the clock. "Oh my gosh, he's right! Olivia and Emily, go upstairs and get changed. Everyone is going to be here in 20 minutes! Charlotte and Evan, can you help me get all to food out before their friends arrive?"

"Sure thing, Aunt Bella," Charlotte said, getting up.

"Yeah, it's no problem," Evan said, walking over to the fridge and pulling out the vegetables and dip I made the night before. Charlotte pulled out the plates and cups while I pulled out bowls and poured chips, pretzels, and other snacks into them.

I heard the garage door open and a car pull in. I heard the car door slam and someone walk inside. "Where is my beautiful wife and beautiful daughters?" Edward called into the house.

"In here, baby," I shouted.

Edward walked in and stopped dead. "Charlotte and Evan? What are you doing here?"

Charlotte smiled at him. "Uncle Edward, did you really think I'd miss Olivia and Emily's prom, especially when an impromptu family reunion is involved?" She laughed and threw her arms around the only uncle she had ever known. "Besides, I wanted to see everyone."

Edward smiled. "Good." He shook Evan's hand before coming over and giving me a small kiss on the cheek and stealing a handful of chips in the process. He grabbed a beer and turned on the television to watch whatever game was on.

"Edward, get up and get changed out of your scrubs!" I yelled at him. "Olivia and Emily's friends will be here, along with Alice and Jasper, Leah and Mike, and Seth and Cynthia!"

Charlotte's face fell. "Leah's coming over?"

"Of course," I said. "Why?"

"She hates me," Charlotte said.

"Charlotte, she does not hate you," Evan said, rubbing her shoulders.

"Well, she's mad at me. Ever since she came to visit you at school she won't look me in the eye."

"Well, she's mad at me for that too," Evan said, laughing.

"Wait, what happened?" I asked.

Evan laughed. "My mom came out to Boston to visit me last November."

"Yeah, I remember that. She came back and she wasn't happy when I saw her, but she wouldn't tell me what was wrong. Did you guys prank her or something?"

Charlotte shook her head. "No, it was much worse."

"So what happened?"

"So, she got there in the morning and Evan had given her a key to his apartment so if got there while he was sleeping, she could just come up. In case you didn't know, I used to spend the night at Evan's place a lot. When she came in, she found us in a…compromising position."

"Compromising position?" I said, raising my eyebrows.

"I was kind of on top of him in only my bra."

"Oh good lord," I said, dropping my head in my hands. "Did she seriously catch you guys screwing?"

Both Charlotte's and Evan's cheeks turned bright red. "That's not the worst part," Evan said.

"Oh god, there's more?" I asked.

Evan nodded. "After Charlotte managed to get dressed, my mom was yelling at both of us. She was so mad, I couldn't even understand what she was yelling about. Charlotte, then, decides she has to defend herself. She says, 'Mrs. Newton, I'm not a slut! I'm using birth control and I'm not getting pregnant before I'm married!'"

I gasped. "Charlotte, you didn't!"

"I did," she said. "I didn't mean to, it just slipped out. So now she hates me."

I shook my head. Charlotte knew about Leah's accidental pregnancy , but I couldn't believe she brought that up to Leah."I'm sure she doesn't hate you. She's probably still mad, but she'll get over it. I wouldn't worry about it sweetie."

"Okay, we're coming down!" Olivia shouted from the top of the stairs. I heard heels clicking on the hardwood stairs until both of my daughters walked into the kitchen. Olivia was in a gold glittery gown while Emily had a white gown with a pink bow around the middle. She had also put on hot pink fingerless fishnet gloves to go with the dress. "What do you think?" Olivia asked, spinning around.

"You two will be the hottest girls at prom," Charlotte said. "Your dates won't be able to take their eyes off you."

The doorbell rang.

"Speak of the devils," Edward muttered, going to get the door.

"Edward!" I heard the high voice of one of my best friends. Edward walked in with Alice and Jasper, followed by David, their 17-year-old son. David's blonde hair had darkened over the years into a mess of brown curls. He was the spitting image of Jasper, yet he had Alice's bubbly personality.

"Hey," he said, walking up to Emily and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Cradle robber," Olivia muttered under her breath.

"So what if I am?" Emily retorted, wrapping her arm around David's waist. "Your boyfriend's a bigger cradle robber than me!"

"Touché."

Edward was talking to Jasper, but he was shooting daggers into David's back. I walked over to Edward and took his hand.

"Chill," I whispered in his ear. "Your daughter will never speak to you again if you ruin this night by punching out her date. Actually, I don't think your best friend will speak to you either."

Edward sighed before kissing me on the lips.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cullen?" came a voice from the front. "The Newton's are here!" Leah and Mike walked in, followed by Bryant, Maribel, Ryan, and Gisele.

"Gigi!" Charlotte called when she saw her baby sister.

"Lola! How was the honeymoon?"

"Fantastic," Charlotte said, pulling her sister away from Ryan and onto the couch. The two of them quickly fell into a conversation while Evan talked to his brother, probably about the Cullen sisters they were in love with.

Bryant went to join Olivia, his girlfriend, while 16-year-old Maribel went over to the kitchen table and started eating. I didn't understand that girl—she was thin as a board, but she had food in her mouth every time I saw her. Her shiny black hair always looked perfect, and her light copper skin made every color look good on her. I knew every boy at her school would die if they had the chance to date her. Too bad for them, she was already in love with someone else. Michael Jonas, the son of Nick Jonas, and her had been dating since the past summer. Mike and Leah would be worried, except for the fact that both of them wore purity rings.

"I see my sister is already here," a voice shouted from the front hall. Cynthia and Seth walked in with their two kids, Steven and Amy. Amy was 8 while Steven was 12. They both went immediately to the food table and started eating.

"Do you not feed your kids or something, Cynthia?" Alice asked. "Every time I see them, they act like they haven't eaten in days."

"Ha ha, shut up," Cynthia said.

After all our "family" had arrived, Olivia and Emily's friends started coming. Maggie and her boyfriend, Jack came first, followed by Taylor and her date, Freddy, with Amanda and her date, Sam, bringing up the rear. "You all look amazing," I said as the three couples entered our house. The six teenagers immediately joined Emily, David, Olivia, and Bryant over at the food table, where Steven and Amy were stuffing their faces.

I looked over and saw Leah was consciously ignoring Charlotte. It was time for me to defend my niece. "Edward," I said loudly to make sure Leah heard. "What do you think of second chances?"

Edward sighed. "You know I think everyone deserves a second chance."

I smiled at him. "Exactly. Everyone makes mistakes." I winked at Charlotte before turning to Leah and giving her a "c'mon" look. She gave me an exacerbated look before going over to Charlotte.

"Grandpa Charlie!" Olivia shrieked as my father walked into the kitchen. She jumped into his arms as he gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

"How's my girlfriend doing?"

"I'm great, Grandpa. How were the boys today?"

"Same as usual, princess." Emily, Charlotte, and Gisele all kissed Charlie after that. Even though he lived in the same town as us, they never saw him because he was always at the station. Charlie was in his sixties, yet he still worked Monday thru Friday, then flew up to Forks on the weekend to go fishing with Billy Black. Some habits never changed, no matter where you lived.

Carlisle and Esme walked in next, both smiling. They gave me and Edward a kiss before greeting all their granddaughters.

"Okay, picture time!" Alice called, holding a camera over her head.

"Mom," David moaned, "You promised not to be embarrassing."

"David, we need to get pictures! Now be quiet and go stand with Emily so I can get a good portrait!"

David sighed before taking Emily's hand and pulling her close to him. For the next half an hour, we all took pictures of the ten kids while they moaned and groaned. When we were finally done, they waved goodbye as the climbed in the limo and headed to their prom.

"I can't believe they're actually going to prom," Edward said, taking a seat on the couch.

"I know," I said, snuggling next to him. After the girls had left, we had dinner with everyone. I cooked, of course. After that, everyone left, and Edward and I had the house to ourselves for the first time in 18 years. "Can you believe we actually have time to ourselves?"

"I know," he said.

"Edward, I wanted to talk to you about—"

Beep, beep, beep.

Edward looked at his pager. "Oh, shoot, I have to take this, Bells. Just give me a minute." He jumped off the couch and ran over to the phone while I sighed. Work, work, work, That was all Edward _ever_ thought about. There used to be a time when I could make him drop everything and bend to my will. Like that time on the island…

I ran upstairs and went into Edward's closet, grabbing the few things I needed. I changed out of my clothes and put on the familiar ensemble—I knew Edward couldn't say no when I wore this. I walked downstairs and peeked into the family room. Edward was sitting on the couch, talking in his phone and writing something on one of his charts.

I tousled my hair before I picked up the remote and pressed play.

_**Let's go girls.**_

Edward dropped his pen when the familiar music started and I started dancing in front of him, wearing only a suit shirt, a tie, and his favorite hat.

"Uh, I'll have to call you back, Jim," he said before hanging up his phone. I danced around and stripped until I was in Edward's favorite set of blue lingerie. He stood up, lifted me off my feet and carried me upstairs to our bedroom.

********

When I woke up, I was in our bed and my lingerie was on the ground, ripped to shreds. Edward was asleep next to me. I kissed him on the cheek to wake him up. He opened his eyes and looked at me. "We need to talk about Paris," I said.

"Bella, I don't want our two barely-legal daughters spending an entire summer in Paris unsupervised.

I sighed. "Edward, if they're in Paris, we'll have the whole house to ourselves for the summer. Charlotte is off enjoying married life, Gisele will be in Tennessee, taking summer classes, and the girls will be in Europe. Think of all we could do with no one else here.

Edward rolled on top of me, kissing me.

"I take that as a yes?" I asked when his lips finally left mine.

"Well, you always had a way with words," he said, his arm snaking around my waist.

I rested my head on his chest. "I love you," I said suddenly.

"I know. I love you too, and I always will."

I laid in bed, thinking about the island. As much as I hated that place, it was the reason I had the life I did. If we had never crashed there, I would never have met Edward, Alice, or any of my other closest friends. I would have ended up marrying Jacob, and I wouldn't be as happy as I was at this very moment.

"You know what?" I said.

"What?" Edward asked.

"It's funny. If I had never gone with Jacob to Japan, I would never have met you."

"I know. And if Tanya had never cheated on me, I would have never met you."

"Life is full of funny little things like that, isn't it?" I asked.

"Sure is."

**It's over! I want to cry! Thank you so so much for reading this. I love all my reviewers and readers. I'm going to have another story coming soon, so feel free to read it. You can check out the pictures of Olivia and Emily's dresses in my profile, along with pictures of what I imagine all the kids looking like.**


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